Hlitner

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

I am puzzled by some on the HAL boards. You want the \cost? Just go to any decent cruise agency web site where they will have a cruise search engine. You simply put in the info to pull up the cruise, and it will show the price of all the available categories along with any "bonuses" provided by HAL and the cruise agency. There are days when I will price-out 10-20 different cruises (with different cruise lines) in a few minutes by using some of these web sites And you do not need to book with any of these agencies to get the info. I will warn you that the 35 day cruise (known as the Voyage of the Vikings) is one of the most expensive (on a per passenger day) cruise in the HAL repertoire. We have taken the VOV, twice, and it remains one of our favorite HAL cruise itineraries. But we recently noticed that "Barry from Boston" who is an interesting piano bar player/singer who used to do the annual VOV cruise, is now working for Celebrity! When HAL decided to do away with their piano bars, they lost some of the best piano bar personalities in the business. Darn shame. Hank

Your husband really needs to careful about Sudafed, which is outlawed in many countries (including nearby Mexico). Even in the USA, I tease my pharmacist that it's easier to pick up a narcotic script than buy a package of Sudafed! As to having an "incident," it is often luck of the draw! I believe that Tramadol is classed as a narcotic, and you are well-advised to know the law in any European country where you will enter the continent. In some cases it might be OK if you are carrying a valid prescription and in other countries it may be illegal. The odds of you having an "issue" are slim, but it could happen! Consider the popular drug, Ambien! While technically not a narcotic it is restricted in some countries. You might travel all over the world with this common sleep med (we have friends that do this) but if you get caught with that drug in Singapore you could be in deep trouble (they require an import license). The funny thing about Ambien is that we could buy it at most pharmacies in Mexico, without a prescription. But if we have Sudafed in Mexico, that would be a big issue! Hank

Let's talk about Business Class. The problem with upgrading to international business class, on a decent airline, is that it is completely addicting! We learned the lesson, the hard way :). I now have a DW who expects to fly business class whenever we take longer international flights, no matter what the cost. Is it worth it? My simple answer is that we have never regretted flying business class on longer flights. We especially will do this on flights where we need to get some sleep. But we are talking about lay flat seats. My message is simple, When booking any business class, carefully look at the hardware (aircraft type and seating quality). As far as connections, it is no different than flying the lowest priced economy. You should choose your flights (and airlines) carefully. I do not support the idea of paying any cruise line for business class without having the ability to choose flights. Speaking of choosing flights, and connections, a big plus with most business class is that it included lounge access. For us, a 3-4 hour layover is not a bad thing if we are at an airport where we have access to a decent lounge. In fact, many flyers actually do their booking/routing in order to access certain lounges. The lounge experience, when you are dealing with the better lounges, is part of the fun. When we need to lay over in airports like Istanbul (when flying on Turkish Air) we actually look forward to our time at the airport. Get stuck at Toronto, and have access to Air Canada's Signature Suite, and it is not a bad thing :). Have to kill a few hours in an airport with an AMEX Centurian Lounge (you generally need an AMEX Platinum Card to access these lounges) and the time flies faster than some flights. Hank

I have a somewhat different point of view, since we always look for "value" when we book any cruise, be it with Princess, HAL, or an ultra luxury line. Value is about what you get for your money, which is not the same as just looking fo rthe lowest cost. We are currently looking at a future 14 day Enchanted cruise. The price difference between a Category MF mini suite and a M6 Reserve Mini suite is $1984 (for two persons) or just over $140 per day. So what would we get for that extra $140 a day. A more central location for our suite (we could care less about location) and some dining benefits. When looking at the dining benefits, DW and I seldom eat breakfast in a dining room (we usually just relax at the IC with a donut or pastry) so the "special" breakfast for Reserve's is of little use. As to dinner, on that ship it means we would be in a small section of one of the MDRs, with the same menu as everyone else with the exception of 1 additional entree. Assuming we would even want that extra entree, I have to wonder if could justify paying $140 a day for that privilege. The other dining advantage of having a dedicated queue to get into dinner is not very important to us since we usually go to dinner after 7:30 when the queue for the regular MDRs is often shorter than what we have seen for Reserve :). While we do appreciate some of the Reserve benefits, for us the extra cost (over a lower category Mini) is not a good value, especially on the Grand and Royal Class ships. I do like the Reserve concept, but unless the meals are in a dedicated restaurant with an upgraded menu (not just the addition of an item) we are unlikely to book the Reserve Minis. We do have some family members who really love the Reserve minis, so are aware that many will disagree. Hank

The issue with being bumped from higher capacity cabins also gives me a lot of pause. Even booking as a couple, it can be an issue if one books a cabin that can hold a 3rd and/or 4th. We have also booked our share of outside cabins when we do not think a balcony or suite offers good value. Consider on the upcominng VOV cruises, moving up from an outside to a balcony will add more than $100 per person/day to the cruise price. Given that the outsides are about the same size as the balcony cabins, paying $200+ a day (per couple) seems a bit excessive to have a balcony that remains unused for much the cruise. Hank

I think you have two problems. I assume you are using the HAL web site (we never find this a good way to go). When I look I a couple of my favored cruise agency web sites there is plenty of availability in many categories (including suites and balconies). The other issue is that it is a segment of longer bookings (they are also taking bookings for a 27 night cruise that includes that segment) so some cabins are usually allocated for longer bookings. I just looked at a Signature Sutie (on the 13 night sailing you mentioned) and one of my favored cruise agencies it kicking-in an extra $650 OBC (this is pretty normal when using decent cruise agencies). Hank

I get the disinterest in beaches (we happen to be beach lovers) but am puzzled by a disinterest in waterfalls! My first thought, when I saw that, was cruising through Prince Christiansund and seeing some of the gorgeous waterfalls. In fact, many Captains, when going through this area, will actually do a 360 degree turn when they encounter some of these waterfalls. Hank