Hlitner

Like many SB cruisers, we have tried the Retreat (on the Ovation) and were underwhelmed. For us, it was not about the cost (we had plenty of OBC which made it essentially free). The Retreat was very nice, the Bollinger good, lunch menu was small but good, and service was amazing! But, for us, it was not ideal because we enjoy socializing, and the Retreat turned out to be a very private experience. On our cruise, most Retreat users kept to themselves (and everyone honored a high level of privacy). I do think it is a terrific option for a couple that prefers to be left along, does not want to interact with other passengers, etc. We are on the Encore for 3 weeks (three segments), later this month, and just looked at our account. There are still 2 full cruise Retreat places available, and the full day rentals are sold out. I am not sure how many of the Cabanas are reserved for the full cruise, but I will assume it is at least 6 units. So this means that with 300 couples on the ship, fewer than 10 are interested in booking the Retreat for an entire voyage. Hank

Might not be as bad as you would expect. Our last few cruises out of Port Everglades have started boarding earlier, than in years past. In fact, on one Princess cruise they started boarding folks about 10:45! In your situation we would enjoy a late breakfast, grab our carry-ons, and head up to the pool deck where we would relax in loungers with our Kindles. Depending on your ship, you might be able to get coffee while you relax. Once they make an announcement that everyone must be off the ship (on some ships this has been as late as (9:45) you walk off the ship, get your luggage, and find your way to the next terminal. By that time, you will be able to drop your luggage. With luck, you may not need to wait more than 1-2 hours. Hank

We live about 180 miles from NYC and the Red Hook Terminal and have cruised out of that port, a few times. On longer cruises we find it more economical to do one-way rental cars. We drop the car in Brooklyn (location depends on which company) and get an Uber to the port. Finding a good long-term parking garage in Brooklyn is very unlikely! Hank

We do not tire of Rome (been there about 2 dozen times) but understand that it all comes down to personal likes. Yes, we have seen all the usual sites (and many that are not usual) but none of that qualified as our best day in Rome. So, what was our best, most fun day? It happened by accident and with no planning (some of our best experiences have happened without any planning). We left our hotel, on a gorgeous summer day, and decided to walk over to the Piazza Navona (one of our favorite places) for a cappuccino. Sat down, about 10:30 at one of the cafes that had a view of the piazza and "Four Rivers Fountain." After nursing the drink, for about an hour, we were really enjoying the people watching (you can guess where tour groups come from by the way folks dress). Ordered another cappuccino and enjoyed more people watching. Around 12:30, we decided to order some lunch and wine, and kept enjoying all the people watching and chatting with some folks at a nearby table. Finally, about 3:30 we decided it was time to move on:) The "People Watching" and atmosphere made it our favorite day in Rome. Go figure. By the way, if one were to tire of the Piazza Navona, walk a few blocks to the Campo de Fiori and start all over again :). Lots to love about Rome. Hank

You would normally be OK with that flight, but things do vary depending on your cruise line and the US CBP authorities. When we have a flight, that early, we use express disembarkation (which means you must get your own luggage off the ship) which makes us among the first off the ship. Normally, we will use Uber/Lyft since their prices are decent and we do not need to wait for other to share. Figure on about an hour to get the airport (with luck you will make it in 45 min) and you would want to be at FLL by 9:30. Hank

We do not use cruise line web sites, preferring the booking engines of several of our favorite cruise agencies (which also enhance bookings with an additional on board credit). Looking at that March 27, Ovation cruise we see availability of V1-V4 veranda suites as well as the larger suites of O2, SS, and even the very large GR Grand Wintergarden Suite. Hank

There is no decent snorkeling off the beaches of Puerto Vallarta. Many snorkel excursions will take their folks to an area called Los Arcos (a few large off-shore rocks) but we have found that area underwhelming. There are some better snorkeling spots south of PV, but that would not be a good option for folks on a cruise. Hank

Good catch :). Mayday can require some planning. This past May 1, we disembarked an Oceania cruise in Trieste. Every rental car agency, in Trieste, was closed for the holiday (and I needed a car). We had to plan on going all the way (over 20 miles) out to the airport where some rental car agencies were open. As far as in Paris, it is not unusual for some of the labor unions (remember that May 1 is Labor Day) to plan marches/protests. This can impact tourism as they will sometimes protest at major areas (such as near the Arc de Triomphe). It is not usually a big deal as long as one is aware and plans. Hank

It is not just on HAL. We see it on other lines where the passenger demographics of longer cruises are entirely different than the short cruises. The first time we took a HAL Grand Cruise (it was a 62 day Grand Med) about 80% of the passengers were 4-5* Mariners. The youngest person on that Prinsendam cruise was a 22 year old lady (Jennifer) who was accompanying her grandmother. Folks under 75 were among the children on that fantastic voyage (one of our favorite cruises). The onboard joke was that they emptied the south Florida nursing homes, loaded those folks on the Prinsendam, and took them all back to their nursing homes when we returned to Port Everglades (it was round trip from that port). For the Caribbean (where we still like to cruise once a year) we favor 14day+ itineraries (not back to backs). They can be hard to find, but do exist. Princess has reinstated some true 14 day itineraries, and Silversea has a nice one this coming December. Hank

Interesting story :). Those midnight extravaganza buffets (not all of them were based on chocolate) are something I still miss. It was just so much fun to see the gorgeous displays, ice sculptures, etc. even though we seldom had more than a few small samples of the food. On our recent Oceania Vista cruise, they did have a brunch extravaganza (think it was on Easter) which was quite nice although it did not compare to some of the fabulous midnight ones of the past. Hard to recall the best of those midnight extravaganzas, but I think our best might have been on Sitmar, back in the 80s.

If one wants to stay on the Right Bank, we love the Brighton for its ideal location and old European charm. The Marronniers is also a terrific property in an excellent right bank location. As to the issue with Castille, if that is where you want to stay it might be worth giving them a call. I will add that as much as we love our Chase card and their portal, there are times when having an AMEX Platinum, with access to their concierge service, can be beneficial for getting one into a booked hotel. Hank

I have been thinking about the OP's post/question. DW and I both are big fans of being in France and have been there on numerous cruises, driving trips, and just renting apartments. Having traveled all over the world (far more than 100 countries) DW ranks Paris as her favorite city! That being said, we often suggest that staying in Normandy, when ported at Le Havre, make a lot more sense then the long round trip to Paris. However, the OP has made the statement that this is their ONLY chance to see Paris. With that caveat, I would suggest going to Paris, even if only for a few hours. That being said, we still suggest that folks wanting to see Paris try to plan a multi-day (or even multi-week) stay in the city of Lights. Cruisers, reading this post, should also consider that if they are on a cruise that stops at Le Havre near the end of a cruise, they might consider arranging an early disembarkation and spending several days in Paris. Hank

LNG seems like a great idea for cruise (and merchant) ships and a few industry insiders, that post here on CC, have convinced me that the storage/systems are safe. But I also get the feeling that this in an area where the cruise lines cannot be too far ahead of the various port authorities, who must ascertain the ability to bunker LNG in their ports. We are already seeing what happens, when technology moves faster than the infrastructure necessary to support the technology. Consider that electric cars are not very popular, in much of the USA, for multiple reasons including the lack of infrastructure (fast charging stations). I notice that the OP is from Vancouver (a beautiful area). A quick internet search shows that the Port of Vancouver is doing studies and considering projects that would meet their LNG needs by 2030! But LNG ships are already here and there will be many more before 2030. Several cruise lines (especially with the MSC group which includes both MSC and Explora Journeys) is already made the commitment (the last 4 of Explora Journey's planned 6 vessels, will be LNG powered). And the newest class of MSC mega ships are LNG powered. Despite being reassured by some industry professionals, I do have some lingering concerns about LNG safety. Consider that most bunker cruise accidents involve spills which are expensive to clean-up. But a bunker LNG accident could, conceivably, result in a major explosion. There can be no learning curve with this kind of risk, we must get it right! Hank

Keep in mind that much of what you liked does still exist. But if you want a smaller ship, you need to book a smaller ship. If you want formal nights, you need to book a line that still have formal nights (i.e. Seabourn, Silversea, Cunard, etc). As to set dinner times, most folks that go out to restaurants do not expect the restaurant to only offer a set dining time. The old fixed dining (which used to be the only options) were (IMHO) a royal pain and silly. These days, open seating concepts allow folks to dine as they please, and if they truly want a set dining time they have simply to go to the restaurants at the same time every night :). We have an upcoming cruise on the Seabourn Encore. Lets put that to your test. The ship holds a maximum of 600 passengers...check! The restaurants are open, every night, from 7-9 and one can dine when they please as long as they are within those hours. If we find one particular waiter or table we like, it is simply a matter of mentioning that to the host/hostess and that is what we will get on most (if not all) nights. If we want to dine with the same folks every night, that is also easily arranged (as long as those folks agree). There are formal nights on Seabourn (and some other lines) and if men want to wear a tux it will be fine...or they might choose to wear a suit (or even just a blazer). Even in the old days, a jacket and tie (for men) was all that was "required" on formal nights. Want to watch the Ocean go by? No problem. One can do it from their suite balcony, on deck, from the Observation Bar (which gives a nice bow view), etc. In the real old days ships did not have cabin balconies, so that is actually an improvement for those that want to sit quietly and watch the sea..without even leaving their cabin/suite. The bottom line is that much of what you miss is still out there, but you need to be willing to pay the price for those smaller ships. Economies of scale make small ships, more expensive! Now here is the shocker! In 1975 (around the time we started cruising) $100 is the equivalent of $573 today! If you look at a 1990, a $100 then is $240 today. Compare that to cruise prices over the years, and cruising is actually less costly today than in the good ole days. Hank

Istanbul taxis are pretty common, but they can also "take advantage" of naive tourists. I have previously posted our Istanbul taxi tale. We have been to that city, many times, on both land and sea. On one cruise, we docked at the port for an overnight. DW and I left the ship in late afternoon to go into town for dinner at a chosen restaurant. We got a taxi at the port and he started to drive us to our destination the "long way." In fact, it was a very long way which would have more than doubled the metered fare. After about 15 minutes (taxis do not move fast in the awful Istanbul traffic) we asked our driver to please stop at a police station. His English was good and he asked, "why?" I responded that he was going the "long way" and we thought the Police might want to help with directions! He was not a happy driver and immediately turned in the right direction and took us to our restaurant where we agreed to pay half the fare that was on the meter :). True story. I always suggest that when using taxis in strange places it is smart to use Google Maps (or Apple maps) to track your journey and make sure you are not being taken for a 'ride." Hank

When using European ATMS, seek out those that are owned by banks! Just like in most parts of the world, there are also privately owned ATMs (such as Travelex) that might impose additional fees and give you a lousy exchange rate. Bank ATMs usually give you the current international rate of exchange (+ about 1%). There can also be fees from your ATM/Debit card issuing bank. Here in the USA there are plenty of smaller banks/credit unions that do not add extra fees, so this is something worth exploring for frequent travelers. Also be aware that ATM issuing banks do impose daily withdrawal limits (which vary by bank). Know your own limits and whether there is a way to get them increased. For example, my credit union has an app (on my phone) that I can use to increase the limit for just that particular day. It is a nice option when I might need 1000+ Euros at one time. Hank

If one does want to use a taxi, from a hotel in Rome, it is not a problem but may cost as much or more than a private transfer. Just ask your hotel's doorman or Concierge to arrange for a taxi and find out the approximate cost from the hotel staff. Also confirm the cost with the driver, before you get in the taxi. Some drivers will run the meter and others might be willing to quote a fixed cost (quite common). Hank

Toulon will be the Port of Toulon. They mention Le Seyne, since that is a charming seaside village in the area (you would need a shuttle, tour, or public transit to get to Le Seyne). Livorno is a port city, best known for being about a 1:20 drive from the fabulous city of Florence. It is also relatively close to Pisa. When visiting these popular western European ports, you have many options. You can get a good idea of the various options by simply looking at all the excursions offered by your cruise line. Keep in mind that western Europe is a very well developed part of the world (similar to our own country) and you do have to make choices between cruise line excursions (generally overpriced and large groups of 50+), booking private tours (which you can do online or working with others on your cruise by using the Cruise Critic Roll Call board for your specific cruise), or by simply going off on your own. If you do go off on your own (known here as DIY) you can use your feet, public transit (buses and trains), or even rent a car. Another option, in many cities, is to use Hop On Hop Off (we call them HoHo) buses. There is no "one size fits all" approach to a first visit to these places. You need to do what is best for your own comfort level and budget. In some ports, your cruise ship will provide shuttle buses to get from the port to a nearby city/town. Depending on your cruise line these shuttle buses will either be free (common with the luxury lines) or involve a fee ($10 - $30 is common). Hank

The OP's review makes me sad. Very sad. Why? Because on our 42 day Westerdam cruise, nearly one year earlier than the OP's cruise, we had many of the same kind of issues. We had hoped that HAL realized the error of their ways, and had started to move back to the HAL we used to love. Are we to believe that there are two different HAL's, the one that operates most of their cruises and the other which handles the longer Grand and Legendary cruises? When I cruise on Seabourn, Princess, Oceania, Explora Journeys, etc, the product is the same whether it be a 7 day cruise or a 28 day cruise. In fact, we know of no other cruise line that varies their standards depending on the length of the cruise. We have taken Grand Cruises, and yes, there were some small extras, but the product was essentially what we used to experience on shorter HAL As to whether consumers can "get smart." yes, one can certainly do that by simply looking at other options. For us, it has meant not booking anymore HAL cruises and simply going on other lines that still give us a very good product. For folks that are wedded to a single cruise line (HAL has many fans that do not go on other lines) they must either accept the changes/cut-backs or not cruise at all! We do know our couple (long time HAL fans) who have given up on HAL and now take extended land trips. Hank

Ahhh, now the recent changes (post COVID) are a completely different story. We cruise on many different lines and cannot help but notice the cut-backs, and price increases, on some lines. In the past 18 months we have cruised on Explora Journeys, HAL, Princess, Oceania, and Seabourn. Of those lines, the cut-backs (and new nickel and diming) were most obvious on HAL and Princess. Some have complained about "cut backs" on Seabourn, but that was not our experience. Hank

We have lots of experience (decades) before Starlink and 5 cruises (with 4 different lines) with Starlink. Starlink is simply the satellite system (thank you Elon Musk) which is a huge improvement over the older satellite systems. But the cruise ships still control access through their own software and switching systems. Our Internet service on some lines has been far better than others (with HAL and Princess being among the worst). I think the best was on a recent cruise (including transatlantic) on the new Oceania Vista (which showed 4 Starlink antennas on an upper deck). Our service, for the month-long voyage, was always very good and for browsing seemed almost as fast as on land. We do not generally stream during cruises, but plenty of folks were using Facetime. Not sure about Whatsapp video calling. On that O cruise, we routinely used our iPhones to make VOIP phone calls, and reception was even better than in our home (I kid you not). Hank

My goodness, what hasn't changed! My first cruise was in 1977 on NCLs Sunward II. At the time it was a state of the art cruise ship and was a little over 14,000 tons with a capacity of about 800. In those days there were two dinner seatings and a Lido buffet! I think there was also some kind of small pool grill (my memory might be wrong on this item). In those days, there was a midnight buffet every night with a special gala midnight buffet, once per week. We would eat late seating, finish dinner about 9:45 and head to the midnight buffet around 11:30 (which is usually when it was open for photos). Tables were assigned, so one spent their entire voyage with the same tablemates, waiter and assistant waiter. I do not think 2-tops even existed and there were no alternative restaurants. In those days. on the formal nights the waiters, many of whom were from Caribbean islands, would parade around with burning (real flames) baked Alaska on their heads! There were no drink packages. All drinks were a la carte and prices were relatively cheap. Most folks would be seen drinking pina coladas or other frozen drink concoctions. The Caribbean ports were not crowded with 10s of thousands of cruisers since there were not a lot of ships (mostly NCL and Carnival) and even the large ships usually had fewer than 1500 souls. Tipping was completely different. On most lines, white envelopes (often labeled with staff positions such as "Waiter") were delivered to cabin around the end of the cruise. Folks tipped in cash and would hand their envelopes to each of the crew members. It was common to tip the cabin steward, assistant cabin steward, waiter, assistant waiter, and sometimes the maitre'd. Tips for the key folks were usually around $3.50 per person/day. In those days there was a lot more personal interaction between ship officers and passengers. In fact, we became quite friendly with several officers who would sometimes join us for dinner. In those early days, dress codes were followed by nearly everyone. Almost all the cruises had a few "formal nights" and it was common for men to wear a tux (or dark suit) and women were commonly in long beaded gowns. Even our 5 year old DD (who took her first cruise on Sitmar) had a long gown when we went on cruises. Dressing up was special and were the formal nights. When it came to Tuxedos. men could even arrange to rent them on the ship! Hank

You might want to take a look at the SS blog where there is the recent story of 2 passengers who were left in a bad situation, by SS air, and had to be helped by a family member. Yes, SS did rearrange air (after a missed connection) to the next port. But SS did nothing to help with hotels, transfers, etc. That couple is very unhappy how they were "handled" by SS air. When Silversea Door-to-Door leaves you stranded abroad - Page 2 - Silversea - Cruise Critic Community I mention this because using cruise air is fine until it isn't! Hank

Just keep in mind that upgrading onboard Internet does not get you faster speeds or any kind of connection priority. You simply have fewer restrictions (such as for streaming).. I mention this because, if the Internet connection/service is bad, paying for an upgrade will not help. We learned this the hard way :(. Hank

We will sometimes use Premium Economy on a day flight, assuming the PE is decent. Recently, we tried Delta's Premium Select class on a flight from Milan to Dulles. That got us two abreast seating and plenty of leg room along with some upgraded food. Not bad :). In retrospect, we should have tried La Campagnie (to Newark) but that small airline scares me because of their lack of backup aircraft. Hank