Hlitner

You will not get an argument with me about Celebrity. We stopped cruising that line shortly after Lisa Lutoff-Perlo took over and started her "death by a thousand cut-backs." Their retreat suites (not truly a ship within a ship) are the least of the problems. MSC, on the other hand, designed their newer ships with the Yacht Club as part of the design package. All of our MSC cruises have been on ships that were completely full! Folks on that line can choose to pay for the YC, or they can make the choice for an inexpensive cruise in the lowest "experiences." NCL has done a similar thing with their newer ships and Haven Suites. This is simply a matter with allocating more space (and staff) to folks willing to pay for it. Consider that HAL seems to have reduced staff without having a ship within a ship. Wine stewards are gone, assistant waiters are few, cabin stewards now have many more cabins to clean, Club HAL seems to have disappeared on longer cruises, etc. They have eliminated their Production Shows (4 singers and usually 8 or so dancers) including the production staff, replaced live entertainment with documentary movies and slide shows (history of HAL), eliminated the Lincoln Center Stage folks, etc. So when you try to equate "ship within a ship" with staff reductions for everyone else, that is not really the issue on ships designed with this concept. As to Celebrity, they seem to be doing quite well with bookings (I do not think they are giving away cabins to gamblers to the extent of HAL) and somehow sell those outrageously expensive retreat suites. To be honest, we would book a retreat suite on Celebrity (Lisa is now gone) but it is actually less expensive (and nicer) to cruise on luxury lines such as Seabourn. On Celebrity, when compared to HAL, we would have more decent dining choices, Production Shows, life after 10pm, etc. While we are not big fans of the current Celebrity, we see that line as a better choice than HAL. As long time HAL cruisers we do hope they get back to the HAL we used to adore...after which we will happily return. And by the way, you will not see Celebrity offering $1 deposits! That kind of sale is born out of desperation. Our claim to fame as a cruise passenger is we walk the walk (we cruise on many different lines) and do not rely on hearsay. When we talk about MSCs Yacht Club it is because we have cruised on their ships. When we talk about the decline of HAL, it is because we recently came off a 42 day HAL cruise and have over 500 days on the line. As to "ship within a ship," this is nothing new (except in name only) as lines have had a class structure for eons. Just consider Cunard, who has long had classes and now their "grill" suites. HAL has their lame structure with the Neptune Lounge, a Concierge, etc. HAL has an honor bar in the Neptune Lounge, but their competition provides real bar tenders with included drinks! And now they have even watered-down suite privileges by letting anyone spend a few extra dollars for Club Orange? Those HAL fans who deny these changes are likely the same who previously thought that HAL would never build 100,000 ton vessels. And since you mentioned CD staff (something about which we have little interest) we have been on HAL cruises where the entire CD department is only 2 or 3 people. On MSC, when they introduce the CD department the folks fill half the stage, On our Seashore cruise I recall they had at least 14 in their CD department, At the time, I was actually shocked and no idea they had those kind of numbers We later took a look at their children's and teen's clubs, and those spaces are amazing with tons of staff. The kids have programs that operate from early morning until very late at night. We met a few teens (in the YCs lounge) who told us they loved the teen program and were learning to speak Italian! Kind of a cute idea, which fits the international atmosphere. Meanwhile, on HAL we have the always empty Lincoln Center Stage and seldom utilized main stage! Talk about a waste of space. Hank

Many cruise lines (we could say better cruise lines but some here would object) have abandoned the idea of small deposits. The reason is simply that many folks will book a low refundable deposit with little intention of ever taking the cruise. Lines like Oceania, Viking, etc, have actually moved to bigger deposits that are non-refundable a long time prior to the cruise. O, for example, requires final payment 6 months in advance (which is also the start of the penalty period). Viking requires full payment within a month of booking! And these lines sell out most of their cruises. So, history tells us with these low deposit fire sales, many will cancel near their final payment due date. The good news is that for those of us who are able (and enjoy) doing last minute bookings, the bargains will return, Hank

ROFL. As one who also lives in Central PA (and sometimes flies out of EWR or JFK) I had to smile at the post. For me, it is must easier to simply get a one-way rental car and drive to EWR! It is a relatively easy drive (under 3 hours) which I would find more desirable than cooling my heels at EWR for 11 hours. And it also takes away the risk of having luggage mis-routed at EWR or left at MDT (this has happened to me twice). Funny thing is we need to fly to Lisbon next week. Rather than booking out of EWR, we decided to book out of JFK, do a one-way rental car, and stop in Manhattan to visit a close relative. What is the #1 airport in the USA for delays and cancelations? EWR! Nearly 25% of flights arriving at EWR are delayed or cancelled. Shocking! Hank

The problem is not just AA, but all the US airlines. I have said for a few years (and posted on CC) that we consider US domestic airline schedules as "advisory" rather than fact...when we book more than a few weeks in advance. Many of us book air 330 days in advance (or close to that max)....but I accept that what I book is most likely going to have changes (often multiple times). To be honest, if I book far in advance it is to simply lock-in to the price. If/when the US airline changes their schedules, the customer can usually change their flights without any kind of penalty or price increase (sometimes you need to deal with the airline on the phone to avoid a price increase). Is AA the worst? Not sure, since we have had similar issues with AA, United, and Delta. Ironically, despite all the publicized issues with Southwest, that airline has caused us the least problems when flying our of BWI or PHL. One downside of Southwest is they do not publish their schedules more than a few months in advance. One strategy I use, with the cruise lines that have a flex air option, is to book flights through the cruise line (using flexair with no cancellation penalty) and than wait to see what Southwest and other do...as we near our final payment time. In many cases we will simply book Southwest and then cancel our cruise line flexair option. Flexair options are available for most CCL owned cruise lines (not sure about the current situation with RCI). Hank

At the risk of incurring the ire of many, life might be much easier for some parents if they simply tell their children, "get over it!" These days, we know some parents that rush their upset kids to the doctor's office and demand anti-anxiety drugs! ARGH. Hank

So now its utilized zero minutes every twenty-four hours? Your logic is strange. It is like saying, the Production Shows are not well attended.....(because they have NO production shows. or ....The MDR is underutilized for lunch (on port days) because it is NOT OPEN. Speaking of MDRs being open on port days, one place this does happen is in MSCs Yacht Club. We were surprised that the dedicated restaurant was open for lunch on most port days. When I asked about this terrific service the Maitre'd simply replied, "You are in the Yacht Club...so of course, we are open for all meals! What a unique concept. Hank

Actually, on Celebrity (and some other lines) you are often paying extra to choose a cabin. While they do not charge, what you call a fee, if you book a specific category guarantee (often called cat X) the price will be less than selecting a specific cabin in that same category. Of course the cruise agent would tell you that you get a "discount" for doing a guarantee. Same difference. We always choose guarantees when we book Seabourn which has gotten us very nice upgrades on 5 or our 6 bookings! On their ships, all the veranda cabins (in various categories) are exactly the same other than location. Since we could care less about our location, doing a V1 guarantee is a no brainer and has saved us thousands of dollars on 5 out of 6 bookings . On Princess we will often choose a mini-suite guarantee when it is priced lower or the same as the lowest category mini. Again, all the mini suites are the same except for location. Nearly fifty years of cruising has taught us that the most perfectly located cabin can be a real "lemon" because of noisy neighbors, squeaky panels, etc. On our recent Westerdam cruise we had dinner (a few times) with a delightful couple that had what they called "the cabin from hell." They had carefully chose that suite for its "perfect" location. But their cabin had a badly malfunctioning A/C system (it was never repaired during the 42 day voyage), had trouble getting cold water in their shower (I kid you not) which was never fully fixed, and had a very noisy cabin ceiling (which was never fully rectified). I once teased them that, at least, they had their chosen location :). I might add that our Signature Suite guarantee cabin was one of the best cabins we have ever had on any cruise. We never heard any of our neighbors, our A/C system was perfect (the thermostat actually worked), and everything in our nice bathroom was perfect, We were also blessed with terrific cabin stewards. Just luck of the draw. Hank Hank Hank

I think the answer to your question is yes, COVID is still a concern just like flu, URIs, etc. If you get a communicable disease on a ship, be it COVID or Noro, you would normally be confined to your cabin until the medical staff determine you are no longer a risk to others. Some ship's might possibly move a person to a different cabin (for isolation purposes) but it is also common to simply leave them in their own cabin with various restrictions. Hank

My suggestion would be to book a private tour :). You might be able to join with some others by using the CC Roll Call board for your ship. I must admit to being surprised that HAL is not offering an excursion to Sounion...but than again, there is little about HAL that surprises me anymore. Having been to Sounion (twice) via rental car, although we enjoyed the drive (actually stopped along the road and went swimming at a lovely beach) it is not on my major highlight list for the region. On the drive back from Sounion I took an inland route and we happened upon a cave (with tours) which was also fun. No way can we remember the name of that cave, but that is just some of the fun of DIY travel. Hank

Renting a car (of any kind) in Santorini, during the main tourist season, can be somewhat of a hassle (we have done it a few times). I have no clue if you would be able to find a jeep, but you can try. Fira has quite a few small rental car offices (located about a 15 minute walk from the top cable car station) many of which are local companies. Last year, when we went back to Santorini, I spent over an hour just trying to reserve a one-day rental car. Even booking months in advance, most agencies were either sold-out or did not want to do a one-day rental. We did finally find a car which meant walking about 10 minutes to a local travel agency office, doing the paperwork, and then walking another few blocks to a large parking lot where we eventually found our beat-up old car! Also keep in mind that most cars rented in Greece are stick shift (a problem for many folks who do not know how handle manual shift). We have often seen unhappy fellow Americans at rental car offices who are surprised that they cannot get an automatic! My advice is simple. Immediately get online and look for a rental car that meets your needs. You are already late to the game...but perhaps it will be your lucky day. Also keep in mind you are on a very large ship and it will take some time (perhaps hours) to get tendered ashore and up the cliff (by cable car or donkey) into Fira. Lets look at the math. Your ship will have about 4000 souls. Assume that only half decide to go ashore on their own (not on an excursion). That is 2000 souls and it would take the cable car more than 3 hours to move that many up to Fira. And that assumes there are no other passengers from other ships. As much as DW and I like Santorini, it is hard to use the word "charming" when arriving by a large ship in the high season. Hank

Since you asked (and ONLY because you asked), I think your plans are completely nutz! I used to call this the "If It's Tuesday it Must be Belgium syndrome." By the way, if you have never seen that old comedy movie it might be fun. And you want to drive to all those places in a port day? I assume you have already looked at the maps and driving times. But consider that driving directly to Giverny from Le Havre (and we are not even talking about going to the Omaha Beach area) will take about 1 1/2 hours each way. Giverny is a popular tourist attraction and can be crowded (with some queues). And keep in mind that when you pick up a rental car in France, it is not uncommon to be stuck in a slow moving queue just to get to the rental counter. This is not like the Hertz agencies at many airports where you can simply head directly to your car. As to the American Cemetary, I have never met anyone who JUST went to that site (which is amazing and quite moving). Nearly everyone would also want to visit nearby Omaha Beach, walk through the remaining bunkers, see Point du Hoc, and walk on the beach . From that area to Giverny is at least 2 1/2 hours and can be somewhat longer because of traffic and parking at Giverny. And than you must allow at least 1 1/2 hours just to get back to the Le Havre area, time to drop your car, get back to the ship, and allow an extra 1-2 hours "just in case." Oh..and we haven't talked about Rouen. You might have time to drive through a few streets and gaze at the Cathedral from your car, and quickly head back to the highway (hoping not to get stuck in Rouen traffic. And while we are talking about the long driving distances, we have not even talked about how much time you need to appreciate any of these places (all terrific places to visit), go to the bath room, eat a meal, etc. Like I said, you asked! My suggestion would be to make some choices. If you are heading to the Normandy beaches, make that region your entire day. If you want to visit Giverny, then consider combining it with a visit to Rouen. But doing it all....will not leave you much time to stop and smell the Roses (they might actually have some at Giverny). Hank

Assuming you could get to Stresa by some kind of public transportation, than what? And yes, I believe there is a train from Milan, so you would need to train up to Milan and change trains. You would be in a small, charming like-side village on a huge lake. You would than need to find local tours to go to various places in the region which is not always an efficient mode of travel. My confession about Lake Maggiore, is that many years ago we did drive to that town. One day we decided to drive around the huge lake, and the roads are anything but straight :). I actually got car sick while driving! Not my norm, but it really happened. We did enjoy the Borromean islands. But strange things happen to independent travelers and Stresa gave us one of those moments. DW had been a public school teacher for many years. In our hotel elevator there was a flyer about a free concert, performed in the town square by a high school group, that same evening. That group was from the district where DW taught school and she quickly spotted the music teacher who was leading the high school group. That teacher looked at my wife and said, "I cannot believe you came all this way from home to see our group!" Hank

To the OP we would say that whether or not you pay less for a guaranteed vs selected cabin depends on the cruise line and sometimes the category being guaranteed In fact, we just booked a Seabourn cruise where the guarantee was exactly the same price as booking a cabin in that same category. It is often the same price on Princess, as well. Hank

One of our Carambola beach days was memorable because of the actions of a female bar waitress (who we had met on the ship). She was walking along the beach, carrying a tray of champagne glasses and a bottle. The lady was dressed all in white and wearing white sneakers. Several passengers were out in the water, about chest high, drinking champagne and their glasses were almost empty. The crew member took off her sneakers and waded out (to her high chest level) in her clothes and refilled all the glasses. When she came back ashore she put her sneakers on and moved along to serve more passengers. She did get an applause from a few on the beach who noticed the moment. Only on Seabourn! Hank

The worst we encounted, in recent years, was on the MSC Divina. That ship's casino (where they allow smoking) has a decent bar on the deck above, that is open to the casino (like a mini atrium). The bar/lounge is where we enjoyed an excellent rock duo (from Italy) during a two week cruise. But there was nothing to stop the smoke drifting up from the casino (one deck below) and we found it quite annoying. We have had other smoke issues on the HAL ships that still allow smoking in the casino. I have long said that walking through those smoking casinos was kind of like passing through a dirty ashtray. Hank

Since many folks will read this thread we would also stress that comparing cruises is not simple. For example, if you book a cruise on a luxury line (i,e. Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, Sea Dream etc) your cruise price will generally include many things (i.e. all-inclusive). We will soon be going on another Seabourn cruise and will likely end that month long voyage with a zero onboard account. There is no need for us to spend any money on that line other than what we spend in the ports. But take a siilar cruise on a line like Celebrity with a cruise-only fare, and our on board account would likely be several thousand dollars! What drsel calls a sailaway price or no perks just does not work these days...for many lines. Consider that Oceania has recently (July 1) implemented their new "Simply More" where the cruise price includes a credit for shore excursions and beer/wine at lunch and dinner! You cannot opt out of these things! Viking cruises includes a shore excursion in every port. etc etc. Hank

Lets deal with a basic question. Folks can get off ships in just about any port of the world and do their own thing without excursions. We routinely do this with dozens of ports a year...all over the world! So the answer to the OP's specific question is YES, you can get off at any of those ports and do your own thing without an excursion (or tour). Some ports are easier in that they are located close or in town. Consider that in St Maarten, you can walk from the expansive port into town, or just take a water shuttle that runs between the port and two docks in nearby Philipsburg. St Thomas has two cruise ports and they each have their own issues, From Havensight, it is possible for a good walker to walk from the port around the harbor and into downtown Charlotte Amalie. There are also inexpensive shared taxis to just about anywhere on the island. San Juan is somewhat dependent on your actual docking position, but most are within walking distance of downtown San Juan. I cannot speak to Puerto Plata since we have not been there on a ship (have been to the DR for all-inclusives). Hank

With some cruise lines it is "back to back" and with others it is simply "segments" of a much longer cruise. But the OPs post lacks any info that would help. A list of "back to backs" all over the world would be hundreds (or even thousands) of possible cruises. The OP needs to be a bit more specific on when, where, and what cruise lines they want to consider. There is no sense of posting info on luxury lines for somebody who is thinking about Carnival or RCI. And yes there is a demand :). Consider that just in our case (one cruising couple) we will have booked 5 cruise trips in a year...with 4 different lines...and each involve multiple segments! And those cruises involve cruising in Asia, Alaska, Canada/NE, Europe, and the Caribbean! I post this not to boast but to simply point out that the question (by the OP) is too general. Hank

We have never rented (or returned) a car at the Nice Cote d'Azur airport. I have no clue of the steps in moving between the train stop and rental car dealers. As you know, this kind of thing is just routine for most travelers, but I am wondering just how much time and hassle it involves. And than there is the all-too-common European issue of long and slow-moving lines at rental car agencies (even if one has the appropriate status to normally skip the line). Sounds like a small issue, but it is the difference between spending a few minutes picking up a car or standing in a queue for an hour! We have never met any frequent traveler who had much good to say about dealing with any rental car agency:(. Most recently, we had to pick up a rental car in Seattle after debarking from a cruise. The queue was out the door and it took us a very long 50 minutes to get to the counter where it took less than 2 minutes to complete our transaction. The problem was that many of the renters had no status with the agency and their processing took at least 10-15 minutes! We overheard the office manager on the phone arguing that he needed more help...NOW! And that was Budget in the USA. Things in France are often much worse. Hank

We are used to driving in this region (on extended land trips) and I am not too concerned about traffic issues. But having to go all the way to the airport (and returning a car to the airport) to get a car is one of those port day hassles we prefer to avoid. We have plenty of time to consider options. We could just get lazy and head into Nice for the Flower Market and perhaps grab the bus over to Eze. That would be a lazy day (and not very adventurous). But you have planted that Bellet idea in my psyce and I do not like to accept failure :). That cruise has 21 ports and I suspect we will do at least 18 DIY! Lots to think about which is always part of the fun. Hank

What a fabulous area to live. I would be as big as a house if I lived in that area for more than a few days :). We have previously rented apartments in both St Remy and Avignon and used those places as a base. We have often discussed doing the same in Aix and being near the Cours Mirabeau would be perfect. Hank

Not until next April. We booked a Oceania Vista cruise that stops in Monte Carlo and Villefranche for two long port days. We noticed that it is in Villefranche on a Sunday which recalls about forty years ago when we ask a French singer, on the old Regent Spirit, what to do on Sundays in Nice and he immediately said, "go to St Paul de Vence." That area has remained a personal favorite ever since that first visit. We have been looking for an excuse to revisit the Maeght Fondation and the ole mind still works wonders when planning days in that region. We have always enjoyed visiting St Paul de Vence on Sundays when we can usually watch some of the locals play boules just outside the town entrance. The challenge will be finding a rental car. The one company that used to rent at Villefrance (rentacar.fr) no longer has a location at that tender port. Worst case, it might mean having to trek into Nice just to get a car and that is a royal pain and not very efficient. And since we are talking about a Sunday, it would likely mean going all the way out to the Nice airport to find any agency that is open :(. Hank

Since I am the true "O" virgin it is strange that I must correct all the "O" pros :). Here is what it is called on "Os" web site for our specific cruise: FREE $2,600 simply MORE Shore Excursion Credit So, with all due respect to Flatbush Flyer, it is NOT being salled "SBC" or Shipboard Credit. And with due respect to "O" it is NOT really "FREE." Hank

Upon further reflection, and giving due consideration to Flatbush Flyer's post, we think that "Os" SBC term is misleading and incorrect! A "shipboard credit" that cannot be used upon a ship (it can only be used for excursions which are done off the ship" is not a real "shipboard credit." In my world, a shipboard credit would be a credit that could be used for most things aboard...such as drinks, tips (or is that to be called crew appreciation) etc. Hank

Now you have done it! Your suggestion has me thinking of a day's driving trip up to the Bellet area, heading a bit North to cross the bridge over the Var, and than working our way over to St Paul de Vence (love this town). Might be a fun day as long as the driver (me) does not "taste" a lot of wine. Hank