cruisemom42

The list I provided was general because the OP's question didn't seem HAL-specific. In truth, I agree with you and it has worried me for years while ship sizes have kept increasing and cruise lines have routinely gotten rid of their smaller ships. I have tried a couple of larger ships (largest has been 3500), and I just do not like them. I'm not particularly loyal to any cruise line, but still there are fewer and fewer options out there that are affordable to those who think a "small" should should have <1,000 passengers! I've basically reduced my options to a small percentage of available ships and a number of those really stretch my budget -- especially as a solo cruiser -- unless I can find a sale or special deal. I suppose at some point there will not be any ships left that are both the size I like and the price I can afford -- such is life.

The one reason that I don't solely use my phone is that I like a good zoom. I need close-up details of things that my iPhone camera can't capture. I have a very small but not inexpensive Sony point and shoot that I put in my purse for times when I know I'll need it.

Is there really far less inventory? I don't mean that to sound like I'm doubting, just genuinely surprised/curious. It got me thinking. I know that a certain amount of inventory was offloaded during Covid but there have been a good number of launches since 2021, including some pretty big ships recently. Plus the fact that not all offloaded inventory left the market (e.g., the 2 HAL ships picked up by Fred Olsen). Mass Market -- New ships post-Covid (2021 and later) HAL Rotterdam VII (2021): 2650 pax RCCL Odyssey of the Seas (2021): 4200 pax RCCL Wonder of the Seas (2022): 5750 pax NCL Prima (2022): 3100 pax NCL Viva (2023): 3200 pax Celebrity Beyond (2022): 3300 pax Celebrity Ascent (2023): 3300 pax Princess Discovery Princess (2022): 3700 pax Princess Sun Princess (2023): 4300 pax Carnival Mardi Gras (2021): 5300 pax Carnival Celebration (2022): 5300 pax Carnival Jubilee (2023): 5300 pax MSC Virtuosa (2021): 4900 pax MSC Seashore (2021): 4600 pax MSC Seascape (2022): 4600 pax MSC Euribia (2023): 6300 pax Premium and Luxury Lines also gained some ships: Viking Venus (2021): 930 pax Viking Mars (2022): 930 pax Viking Neptune (2022): 930 pax Viking Saturn (2022): 930 pax Oceania Vista (2023): 1200 pax (MSC) Explora I (2023): 922 pax Plus: 3 ships for new Virgin Voyages (not quite sure where to put them); each @ 2700 for another 8100 berths... (I didn't count any transfers, e.g. two ships transferred from Costa to Carnival...Also did not count expedition ships, of which there are several.) I'm sure I have forgotten something, but the above figures (not even the maximum numbers given in most cases) rounds up to room for 83,800 additional pax since 2021. If you include the maximum number of berths, the number must creep close to 100,000...

Take HAL for Japan. Best itineraries and few kids. Of course, the ship does pretty much close down for the night around 11pm. No line is perfect. 😂

Exactly. I would say that probably 19 times out of 20, I choose a cruise based primarily (and heavily) on itinerary. But that's not to say other things don't matter. I won't sail on a large ship. I enjoy good food on board. And obviously, affordability has to be a factor for most.

Wasn't that popular on the Nieuw Statendam crossing in November, that's for sure...

I see where you set up a roll call; however, there is already an existing roll call just a few entries further down the page. Did you look first? The existing roll call (not a lot of activity, but it's something) is here:

Just look at all the things that are migrating to smart phones already. Shore excursion tickets? On your phone. App with daily activities and menus? On your phone. Princess has medallions that open your doors and can also show where you are onboard ship at any given time -- how long before that migrates to phones? Pretty soon there will be no need for a sea pass card or any paper onboard. Also, look at what has happened post-Covid with regard to other pieces of the bigger travel picture. The first couple of years of travel many of us had to learn how to find the relevant websites for countries we wanted to travel to, fill out the online forms, then have a barcode or Q-R code on our phone to show upon entry to prove vaccination status. Airline boarding pass? On phone. I think you can see where this is headed...

Always, always book in the currency of the country. Let your credit card do the exchange.

No, just ALMOST everyone. According to a January 2024 research poll, 97% of Americans own a mobile phone. And 9 out of 10 of those own smartphones.

That's assuming you are a morning person, lol. I don't want to talk to anyone, not even my own family, until I've had a couple of cups of coffee and preferably eaten my breakfast. Only then do I start to feel human. 😂

Thank you so much for the link to your "Live From" thread. Excellent info and photos. The first voyage that caught my eye when browsing their website is one that included the Corinth Canal sailing. That would be a huge draw for me. I was on a cruise (Voyages to Antiquity) that was supposed to do it years ago and -- you guessed it -- it was closed due to rock fall.

It sounds like you don't currently have a swimsuit and would have to buy one. If that's the case, and you don't think you'd likely wear it while onboard, then I see no reason why you'd need to buy one just for this cruise. (For the record, I almost never bring a suit on a destination-intensive cruise like yours.) One thing I would mention is the need to have good, sturdy broken-in shoes for walking. Sightseeing in Europe can be rough on the feet, especially if there's lots of city walking. You need at least one pair of shoes with closed toes and a sturdy (not too flexible) sole so you don't get stone bruises if you will be walking on cobblestones. I always being two pairs of walking shoes so I can alternate every so often, which is better for your feet, and also just in case anything happens to my main pair.

Oh gosh, not at ALL what you were expecting to hear. 😢 Some years are just like that. Seems these things come in clusters. I hope it is smooth sailing for you guys after this next round....

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Agree. Their rankings had me scratching my head a bit, and the quotes they featured were mostly not helpful!

It would help if you could be a little more specific -- people mean different things by saying they're "foodies". I think of a foodie as someone adventurous and wanting to try local specialties, but with 5 kids can't really see things like tripe and offal on the menu? What are the ages of the kids? Italians generally are very accommodating to children in restaurants, but they are expected to behave. It's never usually a problem to get plain pasta, for example. The bread plate saved me many a time when dining with a hungry 6-year-old boy in the evening who could barely wait for dinner...

For a solo, it's a different ballgame of course. 😕 The 119% solo supplement on a fair number of cruises makes the per night cost less than O, even in one of their solo cabins. It looks to me like Windstar does not include gratuities (neither does O), shore excursions (which is fine with me) and internet. Non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary. Am I missing anything?

Rick Steves has several self-guided tours laid out in his Athens guidebook (possibly also in his Mediterranean cruise guide book). He does a good job of putting together a route that makes sense and gives you all the info you need to do it on your own. I would recommend that you borrow or buy a copy and use it for planning.

There's a long thread pinned at the top of this forum with many, many questions that have been answered by posters with experience. I would suggest skimming through it, but if you have a particular question, ask it there and I'm sure it will be answered. In case you can't find it, link is;

Not an issue for me. I guess I sort of wrote Windstar off when they just had those weird-looking "sail boaty/yachty" ships. I must've missed that they have Seabourn's old ships. Now I'm interested, AND they have a number of sailings with a solo supplement of only 119%...

From Airport to Your Apt: One question I have is: what are you planning to do if you don't all arrive on the same flight/at the same time? Getting a water taxi may make sense IF you all arrive together, but if not, then what? Anyway, I see three options: 1. Take a private water taxi direct from the airport to the dock closest to your apartment. This will likely get you the closest with minimum hassle and least walk. Of course it's also the most expensive and won't make sense unless you're all together. 2. Take the express bus from the airport to Piazzale Roma in Venice. Piazzale Roma (PR) is the closest that wheeled vehicles can get to the rest of the island. The buses are cheap and run frequently. What you need to find out is whether you should plan to walk or take a vaporetto (public water "bus" for want of a better term) to get closer to your hotel. It's not so much the walking distance as how many bridges/canals you have to cross to get there. Each bridge will require steps. 3. Look at the schedule for the Alilaguna service. It is a boat service from the airport to selected areas in Venice. If there is a convenient dock near your apartment where the Alilaguna runs, it is a good compromise, perhaps as it is probably more expensive than one water taxi for 8, but less expensive than two. Shouldn't your apartment owner provide detailed instructions on how to get to the apartment you rented?

I assume you meant pandemic, but this gave me a giggle, imagining the possibility that Starbucks asking remote workers to pony up for an expensive panini for lunch drove them back to their homes to eat.

This is what I usually do. I agree that you do meet a number of people this way, which makes it more likely that you'll see a friendly face at other places around the ship. It's also easy to meet others onboard during things like Trivia, crafts, and other activities.

Could you expound a little on the Windstar experience? What sold you on them? How are they different from/similar to lines like Oceania? It's a line I've never seriously considered, but I am finding fewer and fewer lines with small ships that I can afford to cruise with.