Hlitner

Forcing or coercing somebody to take a trip they want to avoid, will often have a bad outcome. Folks can psych themselves out of enjoyment and often achieve their goal of being miserable (to prove they were right). Perhaps you can sell your DH on the cruise by showing him some videos of the destinations. Otherwise, we agree that a solo trip or trying to find some other compromise is the wise course. Hank

Am sorry, but will again respectfully disagree with some of the posts. Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, etc. all have one thing in common...they are part of Greece :). Just like nearly any country, there are some places that are so "popular that nobody goes there anymore." There are usually some good ways to deal with over tourism. If you are on a party island, like Mykonos, you might want to avoid booking any hotel or Inn in Mykonos Town. Like many towns on popular islands, there is night life which can continue into the wee hours of the morning and that is going to mean noise. Instead, book a hotel/Inn outside of town (there are plenty on Mykonos) and take some time doing your homework to find an area without nightclubs or bars. s Santorini is an overcrowded mess because there are simply too many cruise ships allowed at the island. If you are a cruiser, you can try to deal with the over crowding but the reaility is that there is little you can do about the cable car (Skala to Fira) or Oia! For those who elect to fly (or take a ferry) to Santorini, the crowds can be handled by spending your day at a beach or on a part of the island away from Fira and Oia. In the late afternoon, as the island starts to empty of cruisers, it is the time to venture into Oia or Fira. It is the same in other touristy destinations, such as Venice. In late afternoon, when the day-trippers and cruisers leave the city, Venice becomes a magical place. We have walked in St Marks Square after 10pm and had the entire area to ourselves. What I find fascinating are those who complain about places being overcrowded when they have chosen to cruise on a mega ship (with thousands) to ports that have several other ships. What do you expect? A great example are the tiny ports (all tender ports except Nuuk). We have been there on the Caribbean Princess (about 3700 passengers) and it takes hours to move those folks ashore into a town of about 1000 people (who all hide to avoid the interlopers). Recently we were in those same ports on a small ship with only 400 passengers and it was like heaven when compared to being there on a large ship. My message is that rather than whine, do some good planning and make careful choices. There are usually better options (although they might be more expensive) and the choice is yours. Hank

Santorini tenders are large shore-based boats (cruise ships do not use their own tenders). Loading/unloading can take some depending on the age/speed of passengers. That actual ride time is no more than 10 minutes. Hank

You make some excellent points. Even as HAL entered what I have called their period of a "cruise line without a rudder" we continued to book HAL cruises (among other lines) because of their terrific itineraries. If we were to ever go back on HAL, it would only be because of their itineraries since we no longer can find any other redeeming characteristic. We have some hope that the new Explora Journeys line (they will quickly build 6 - 900 passenger ships) might become a good option (early reviews are not very good). Like many HAL cruisers, we are seniors who have already done a lot of traveling. At this time, we have lots of difficulty finding cruises that can take us to new places, so we find ourselves repeating many itineraries (this fulfills our love of cruising). HAL has been gradually moving to larger ships, and this limits what they can do with their itineraries. One reason we loved the Prinsendam (sometimes called the elegant explorer) was because HAL used it as a "pathfinder" vessel that offered amazing itineraries that included ports not even open to the large ships. We both know what happened to that ship...which still breaks my heart. As to Oceania, we will withhold comment until we finally cruise on the line (we have an upcoming 38 day Vista voyage). I was never a big fan of the "R" ships (at O prices) but we are looking forward to trying one of their newer vessels (which avoid some of the issues we do not like about the R vessels). To be blunt, we were so fed-up with what we experienced on the Westerdam that we cannot bring ourselves to even consider another HAL cruise. Perhaps this will change...if and when HAL gets their act together. As to Celebrity (we are Elite Plus on that line) we have not booked that line for the past few years because we no longer consider it a good value...especially if one wants a "retreat" suite. Our recent Seabourn cruise was actually less expensive (per passenger day) than Celebrity...and that Seabourn cruise had a fantastic itinerary (think HAL...VOV). Hank

We wish you a wonderful voyage and smooth seas 🙂

I find it curious when some long time HAL cruisers simply accept the line's decline out of some kind of "loyalty" or because of itineraries. When it comes to itineraries, there actually is a lot of competition to HAL, and that often includes a better cruise line and better value. Consider lines like Oceania, Azamara, and Seabourn which are a great value for anyone who books HAL suites...and unfortunately not as good a value for singles or those looking for the lowest cost voyage (i.e. HAL inside cabins). But even with those issues, one can usually find some good value cruises by shopping around and taking advantage of promotions. I will be honest in that I never expected DW to rule out any cruise line (she now rules out HAL). She is not a confrontational person and is terrific when it comes to adapting/adjusting to any cruise line. She and I are both comfortable on anything from budget lines to ultra luxury lines and understand that we must modify our expectations to fit the product. But, in our opinion, HAL does barely make it as a budget mass market line...due to all the relatively recent cut-backs, change in attitude of senior staff, etc. As 5* Mariners we expect loyalty from HAL...which means providing the quality product we had grown to embrace over many years. What we see today is not even close to what used to be, and we got the feeling (on the Westerdam) that the senior staff were aware of the situation and chose to "hide" rather than deal with many unhappy cruisers. At one point I started to think it was me, and not HAL, which is about the time we met a wonderful lady (also 5*) right after she cancelled a full World Cruise because of her experience on the cruise. Don't get me wrong...because overall we did enjoy our 6 week cruise, met many wonderful passengers and crew. But we thought it a terrible "value" when compared to other lines. Just came back from a month on Seabourn. No visible shortages, quality was generally up to their standards (some hiccups with new staff), entertainment was the best we have ever seen on Seabourn (on some nights they actually has two shows with different Guest Entertainers) and we discovered that Canada produces some fantastic comedians (we had two on our cruise). As to comparison with Cunard (I am thinking about the QM2) on a typical sea day Cunard would have some planetarium shows, a truncated Shakespeare production, perhaps a piano concert, etc. On HAL you might get a so-so speaker and always the usual trivia! On the other hand, perhaps many HAL fans get what they want...an early dinner, a slide show about HAL, and early bedtime. As to food, each line (HAL and Cunard) has their ups and downs. Hank

Which would be the best currency for tipping in Canada? or If you drove down to the USA would you be tipping in Canadian Dollars? In Istanbul, the currency of choice is the Turkish Lira. Many merchants will accept other currencies (especially the Euro or US Dollar) and guides will be forced to accept whatever they get. We do a lot of international travel (including Turkey) and always try to use plastic (we have cards with no fees or foreign exchange fees) but, for smaller purchases, having local currency is a good thing. While a touristy restaurant will almost always accept credit cards, a small street stand in Istanbul will generally be a cash business. Hank

The Captain on our recent cruise (Seabourn Quest) did speak to the Bay of Bengal issue (when we crossed that body). He said that much of the roughness in the Bay is caused by a confluence of currents magnified by the relatively shallow depth. Over the decades we have passed by, and crossed, that area man times and have either been very lucky, or perhaps the legend is over dramatized. He also mentioned that, traditionally, the worst seas are during the winter months when severe storms/depressions really kick up the sea. Since we have never crossed the Bay in the winter months, we will take his word for it 🙂 Hank

My goodness, if you do get to this place, please post a review here. My theory about pizza is that perhaps Naples truly invented the dish (that is often debated) and make a decent pizza, but in parts of the USA we have taken pizza to a better place. When we first started traveling to Ialy (about forty years ago) pizza was only found in the evening and considered part or all of dinner. I think that tourism is primarily what drove Italian pizzerias to open during the lunch hours, and once they realized the big market it has spread throughout the country. In Naples, when we went to Pizzaria da Michele for lunch, many of the customers were Italian (although the one's with whom I spoke were from other parts of Italy and also wanting to experience Naples Pizza.) Hank

I am no "O" fan (still waiting to take our first O cruise in March, but am very familiar with the ins and outs of cruising (with about 50 years or extensive experience). So, I will defend "O." What you see, when you look at the tender boat is simply a "snapshot in time" and not necessarily indicative of what can happen during a tender operation. Conditions can (and usually) will change during the day. A ship's Captain (along with the Port master) must make decisions based on current conditions, forecasted conditions, and most importantly the safety of all involved! A nightmare scenario for a Captain is to get hundreds (or thousands) of folks tendered ashore only to have the seas and/or winds kick up to an unsafe level. Then they are faced with the unfortunate situation of "how do we get our folks back to the ship?" This can (and has) resulted in ships having to either wait off a port (sometimes until the following day) or move on with the itinerary and somehow get the trapped passengers to the next port. While the OP has complained about missing the port, I wonder if they would have complained more if they were trapped at the port (could not get back to the ship) or even worse, were injured while trying to get on/off a severely moving tender! We were recently on a HAL cruise around Japan (and eventually over to Alaska). At one point, our Captain cancelled a port (Kushiro) 2 days in advance, because of forecasted conditions. While we did hear some grumbling, that disappeared two days later when we heard that winds at that port were gale-force and the port was closed (the day we were to arrive). Hank

Just wanted to shout out my admiration of the OP's post. Having been on more than a few HAL cruises and also Cunard, I can agree with nearly everything posted by the OP. One other issue (not mentioned by the OP) that applies to Cunard is that the line does offer something akin to a "ship within a ship" experience for those in the expensive suites (compare to Neptune or Pinnacle Suites). At that level, Cunard blows away HAL in terms of what is offered...but at a very steep price. One other small thing that "made my day" when on the QM2. We spent many mornings in their all-weather pool area (relaxing and reading) where they had a fantastic "Bloody Mary Cart." They would come around to the chairs/loungers and make amazing bloody marys (or Caesar's) that were among the best I have ever had...anywhere! They were made from scratch (no mixes) and adorned with items like jumbo shrimp, large stalks of celery, etc. It was a nice touch. DW tells me she also thought their mimosas were top quality. Hank

I think that HAL created some of their own problem when they decided to market the "HIA" package with tips (I refuse to use that ridiculous "crew appreciation" term) and also without tips. The truth is that if HIA does not include tips it probably should be called "HIA Lite" or something similar. And HAL is not along with this kind of confusion. Celebrity and RCI sell so many different "packages" that you would need a spreadsheet to keep it all straight (one of my favorite cruise agents told me she has created her own spreadsheet covering all cruise lines/packages). When you call HAL (or other lines) and talk to a reservations clerk (a PCC is simply a reservations clerk) their knowledge varies from excellent to appalling. They live their life looking at a monitor with "scripts" where they read much of what is regurgitated to you on the phone. Just knowing which script requires some smarts and not all seem to have this skill. One reason (out of many) that we use a few very knowledgeable cruise agents is because they have lots of continuing ed/training and work across all the brands of cruise lines. While you would expect an employee of a cruise line to have lots of knowledge about their own products, the reality seems to be a different story. Hank

My goodness, what a shock. Ships sail upon the sea and sea conditions (anywhere) can vary from glassy to very nasty (more than 40 foot). That is just the way it is and folks that are going to ruminate about possible sea conditions might be better off staying at a land resort. We have crossed the Bay of Biscay dozens of times and have never encountered seas more than 20 feet. Most of the time it has been 12 foot or less! For folks who have only cruised on massive ships in relatively calm seas, 12 foot seas can seem quite uncomfortable. For those of us who are good sailors, it is usually around 18-20 feet when things become somewhat uncomfortable (because it can be difficult just walking). We recently saw a post from someone who was very unhappy (and complained) because they encountered 8-foot seas (in the Caribbean). It gave DW and me a big laugh (we were recently on a HAL cruise that crossed from Yokohama to Kodiak Island where the seas were never below 15 foot and often topped 20. And that lasted for nearly 6 days! Few on that ship complained as it was a group of good (and well informed) sailors. Hank

I am going to take a wild guess that you were there on a large cruise ship along with several other ships. So you, are part of the reason why the island was too crowded. As long as folks insist on booking cruises, on larger ships, to Santorini, the island is going to be overcrowded. Keep in mind that the island's hotels, inns, and B&Bs are also generally full during the main part of the season. The island can handle the folks in the island's facilities, but when you add another 8,000+ cruisers the place is overwhelmed. And nearly all cruisers head to Oia (this used to not be the case) whiich is a delightful relatively small town. This is caused "over tourism" and folks on Santorini have noticed and are not all happy. There have been some plans to limit cruisers, but it is obvious that the limits are not enough! So what can they do? We can only think of two possible solutions. #1. Either ban or put a severe limit on the daily number of cruisers (i.e. 4000). or #2. Raise the port fees taxes to such an outrageous level (we are talking hundreds of Euros per person) that the cost of visiting on a ship becomes price prohibitive (to most cruisers). When we started cruising to Santorini (back in the 1970s) most ships had fewer than 1200 passengers and there were only 1 or 2 ships a day. Now, a single ship can bring 4000+ souls. Just consider that the cable car at Fira can only move 600 person per hour (in each direction) which means it can theoretically take over 6 hours just to get everyone down to tenders (assuming that was the only means used to get folks back to their ship). Hank

I will take a very educated guess. We have never heard of any cruise line tender or excursion that went to OIA via boat. So my guess is that you will be tendered into Athinios where you will board a bus that takes you to Oia. You might want to consider a DIY day. Just take the tender into Skala (the tender port located under Fira) and buy passage on one of the boats (on the same pier as the tender) that will take you to a small pier under Oia from where you are provided with transportation up the hill to Oia. These boat deals also include a bus back to Fira. Not knowing the cost of your Oia excursion it is impossible to do any kind of cost comparison. Either way will get you to Oia, which unfortunately, has joined many other places in suffering from over tourism. Hank

Having cruised for 50 years, we really enjoyed the typical smaller ships back in the 70s. In fact, we still love the small ships and just came off the Seabourn Quest where we had just a few over 400 passengers (the capacity, seldom achieved, is 450). It occurs to me that the true "Love Boat" was probably HAL's Prinsendam (previously it was the Seabourn Sun and Royal Viking Sun). Why do we say this? It turns out that three of that ship's Captains, who all professed to be happy bachelors, met their wives while working on that vessel. But my issue with the "Love Boat" was the idea of a ship with only one bar tender! Imagine! Hank

Hmm. That would cause me some concern. I get nervous when folks don't get back to me. At one time they had a customer service person called Ner who quickly responded to any communication. COVID changed so many things...and not much for the better

You can also contact them through their web site Ekoltravel.com (click on the "Contact Us" at the upper right. There general e-mail address is info@ekoltravel.com. The reason we have long recommended this tour company is that we had our own wonderful experience with them, a few years ago. If you have any special requests, let them know! We booked a private guide, and also got a new van with driver (who also spoke English). All that for less money than a comparable cruise line excursion. The bonus was that we did not need to waste part of our day locked away at a "jewelry factory, pottery factory or leather factory" which is typical of cruise line excursions. When visiting Ephesus, going into the Terrace Houses is a MUST! Unfortunately, guides cannot take you through that part of the ruins, but there are excellent written narratives throughout that facility. Folks should be aware that Ephesus does involve a lot of walking and the Terrace Houses also involve a significant amount of stairs (up and down). Hank

Barcelona normally clears ships in less than 30 minutes (after the gangway is in place). So, if your ship is docked on time you might expect to be able to go ashore around 7:30. Dragging your own luggage at the Moll Adossat terminals means a pretty long walk, but very doable with escalators and elevators.

ROFL! That would be a good thing although DW and I had no complaints about the maple syrup (or whatever it was) on our recent Seabourn Quest cruise. I am curious to see what happens the first time I am sitting at a bar on EJ, and ask the bartender (or waiter) to bring me an order of caviar! On SB, they soon deliver a large platter with a nice portion of decent caviar (you can order a double portion) surrounded with all the fixens. I am also curious how EJ deals with the lack of a pool grill. We have been on over 75 different cruise ships, and every single one had a pool grill! On a sea day we often enjoy having lunch on the pool deck (often in our loungers). Will that be an option on EJ (guess they would need to bring food from inside)? Also consider that on Princess (a basic mass market line) one can order food/drinks on their app (from anywhere on the ship) and it will be delivered directly to your location...whether that be in an outdoor lounger, a deck chair, etc. On Seabourn, you can also get that kind of service, but it must be done by ordering directly from a nearby waiter. As one who cruises on many different lines (including luxury lines) one expects to adapt to each line's idiosyncrasies. But on luxury lines, the staff should also learn how to adapt to the passengers! On our recent SB cruise, DW and I spent many mornings in their Observation Bar (great view...but the bar is closed during the morning). DW and I enjoy a mimosa (her) and a spicy bloody mary (me) on sea days. One of the deck servers quickly figured out our habit and would trek up to the Observation Bar around 10am with our drinks (which we did not even order!). We never asked him to do this, but he simply used his own initiative (thank you Billy). That is the kind of little thing that separates a luxury line from the mass market lines. Hank

This is an unfortunate (for the person) truth. As a very active independent traveler/cruise who seldom takes a tour, I have some difficulty understanding the thinking behind folks who are afraid (or unwilling) to be even a little adventurous in ports. We have actually met cruisers who have expressed fear of getting off their ship, anywhere, unless they are part of an excursion. They tell us of their uncontrollable fear of "missing the ship" even if the ship is within sight of their destination. On Mykonos, folks can simply take a local bus (very inexpensive) to many of the best beaches. Rather than spending a few hundred dollars for a ship excursion to the beach, they can go to that same beach for about $2, rent loungers (for all day...not the typical 3-4 hours of a ship excursion) for about $30 (2 loungers plus umbrella or palapa). That beach day suddently costs less than $50 (for a couple) compared to hundreds for an excursion. And the bonus is you go when you want and stay as long as you please (allowing adequate time to get back to the ship). On Mykonos the best strategy is to go directly to a beach, and than come back into town a few hours before you must be on the ship. This gives you time to explore Mykonos time, perhaps stop for a drink or a snack, and have the knowledge that you can walk back to the tender (or even the ship..if necessary) without fear of missing the ship. Our basic advice (which has worked, for us, more than 50 years) is to go to your furthest place early in the port day and than gradually work your way back to the port. Bottom line is leave the areas closest to the ship for the end of the day (so you have the security of being able to easily get back to the ship on time). Getting back to the OP, Mykonos is not a bad place. It is simply a popular tourist island (as are many of the Greek Islands not even frequented by cruise ships). Visitors have the option of avoiding the most popular areas if that is their desire. When going out for lunch or a drink, always check the menu and prices BEFORE sitting down or even entering an establishment. Not every place is a rip off, but you will need to do some picking and choosing to avoid the awful tourist traps. Hank

We did it in April, and its not too intimidating if you do your homework. We will assume you are able to do a lot of walking as you need to walk a few blocks to the metro station (from the cruise port) and will do even more walking at Ueno Park (where there are multiple museums). There are several ways to do it via metro (subway) or train to subway. You can get the Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Yokohama, take it to Shibuya Station (about 40 minutes) and then change to the Ginza Line and go to Ueno Station from where you must walk to the park and museum. It can also be done using the JR Train system (I have not researched the route) which is handy if you happen to have a JR Rail pass. One suggestion is to go online and read-up on the "Suica Card." If you are going to spend more than a few days in Japan, this is a handy card that can handle most of your transportation needs. It is simply a pre-paid card (you can load more money at most metro/train stations, 7-11s, etc. Just beware that any credit you want to load on this card much be done in cash (the machines do not take credit cards). I also strongly recommend having a working cell phone since you can use the various map programs to guide you through the huge Tokyo metro area. Besides, when you are on a train or subway you need a phone so you look like everyone else (who is looking at their phones). Hank P.S. If "Brucemuzz" sees this thread and posts his recommendations, we defer to his expertise 🙂 He will certainly know the fastest and easiest way to get to Ueno Park.

Ahhh Pizza, Am a pizza lover and would argue that the best pizza is in New York City :). In Naples, we did once go to the famous L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele (where they only make two kinds of pizzas, Margarita and Marinara) where we sat at a long bench (crammed with other folks) and had our pizzas with a soda (served in a plastic cup). While the pizza was good, we did not think it worth the 45 minute wait (out on the crowded sidewalk). So here is the thing, some folks argue that the best pizza in the world is to be found just outside Caserta (I kid you not). The place is called Masanielli and it's owned by a famous pizza guy named Francesco Martucci. We have never been there (I am not sure how far it is from the Caserta train station) but thought I might toss out the name (you can do the research). Some of the reviews on TripAdvisor are awful, but if we are ever back in Caserta we will have to give it a try. I do not know why we have seen fewer reviews (here on CC) but suspect that many are like me and do not want to spend the time and trouble putting a review into the accepted CC format and carefully writing so as not to upset any of the mods. We do post mini-reviews on the actual cruise boards, and often get flamed for our trouble (but we stand behind what we post). We have recently spent 6 weeks on HALs Westerdam and nearly 5 weeks on the Seabourn Quest. As a result, we will not book anymore HAL cruises (unless they get their act together) and will happily cruise on Seabourn in the future 🙂 My biggest complaint about the Seabourn Quest was that they could not make a decent (or even half decent) pizza. That being said, the caviar is always good. I will mention that we have done a fair amount of cruising since COVID (Seabourn, MSC (Yacht Club), Princess and HAL) and with the exception of HAL have been happy cruisers. We are still seeking the perfect cruise line/ship (a lifelong obsession) and the search is lots of fun. Hank

I have noticed that you are both on RCI. Your first step should be to immediately call RCI and inquire if they are offering transfers from VCE to the port in Ravenna. Assuming there is no cruise line transfer you might consider just renting a car. A one day rental (pick up at VCE and drop in Ravenna) is about $150 (a smaller car with manual shift). The drive should take you about 2 1/2 hours. You would than need a taxi from the return place to the ship...although you might get lucky and convince the rental car office to give you a lift. If you decide to use this option be aware that "technically" Italy requires that you have a valid International Drivers Permit (you can buy this at any AAA office). The third option is to hire a taxi or look for some kind of transfer service. That option will likely be very pricey. There is a 4th option, if you are arriving 1 or more days early. There is a "Flixbus" from Venice to Ravenna that leaves around 5:30pm and takes about 3 hours for the drive. Flixbus is a very inexpensive option but you would need to spend the night in Ravenna. Hank

Yes, DW and I took the train to Caserta, based on a suggestion of Eurocruiser. We had a delightful day, but I think the highlight was the very impressive gardens (at the rear of the palace, where one can walk for 2 (or more) miles. Caserta is an important place for those of us interested in WWII history. While I would not recommend the trek for a first (or even second) time visitor to the Port of Naples, it is a terrific option for folks that have done most of the usual things and are looking for something new. As to Procida, it is another option for those that want to do something a bit different. Ischia is another option, and one could debate whether Procida or Ischia is the better destination for a port day on an island. Keep in mind that the high-speed ferries to either of these islands are somewhat infrequent, so you need to check the schedules to figure out how to make it work. In fact, when we intended to go to Procida, we missed the ferry by a few minutes...looked at the schedule board (at the ferry terminal) and noticed an upcoming ferry to Ischia...which is where we spent that particular day. I would add that we would not go to either of those islands unless the weather was favorable. One terrific advantage (of many) for the DIY traveler is the ability to alter one's plans at the last minute to deal with current weather. Hank