Hlitner

In our case, part of the amenities come from a major consortium. I have posted, elsewhere, about travel consortiums, which are simply networks of independent agencies that work together as a group to increase their clout. Some of these consortiums have hundreds of agency members around the world. Think in terms of a consortium that books thousands of reservations in a single day! That gives them a lot of clout and also makes them very popular with cruise lines who all seek their support and business. Those of us who have been at this cruise game for decades have seen many changes throughout the travel/cruise industry. I think, at one time, the original consortium may have been AAA (AA in Canada) who had hundreds of affiliates in North America. In the old days they could put together group bookings and qualify for special "group rates" and other considerations from the cruise lines. Today, there are multiple consortiums and they offer a way for their member agencies to offer perks that cannot possibly be offered by a small non-affiliated agency. Many cruise/travel agencies hide the fact that they are in a consortium while others hold it out as a major advantage. Another positive aspect of consortiums is that they tend to encourage continuing education/training for their members. There are quite a few designations that can be earned by agents who participate in various training programs. Rather than just dealing with an order taker (which is what you get when you call a cruise line) you can deal with a true travel professional who has a good understanding of the cruise industry, airlines, hotels, etc. For us it is interesting that our next few cruises (Explora Journeys, Princess, and O) are all booked through the same agent. It makes my life much easier to deal with a single person/agency, especially when that agency can give us terrific deals with each line. Hank

We just booked (this week) an O cruise priced in the range mentioned by the OP. The perks we are getting through our cruise agency are equal to about 10% of the cruise fare. In our case it is a combination of pre paid gratuities and a generous OBC. We book a lot of cruises (usually about 100 days a year) and view the transaction as business. We have used 3 different cruise agencies for many years and always do a comparison (total deal) vs booking direct with the cruise line. We do not ask to hear sob stories from the agencies/agents, but simply expect the best deal and good service. The agents we use are all very professional, know the industry, and understand that my loyalty is only as good as the latest deal. I agree with Flatbush Flyer that the right TA, with the right contacts, can do a lot of good. This is especially true if something goes wrong and you need the skill of the agent to resolve an issue. High volume agencies/agents will generally have more contacts (and clout). In the case of "O" are agent gave me her take on the various "O Life" options which confirmed what we have learned on this board from O regulars like Flatbush Flyer. Hank

The easy answer is that there are no Covid-related restrictions! The last restrictions have been eliminated (I think the last vestiges ended in early May). As to the 10% "rule," we do not know (not sure anyone knows). Japan, just like every other country, reserves the right to refuse entry to any ship for just about any reason. Prior to the beginning of this 2023 cruise season, the authorities said they might not allow docking of ships that had more than a 10% (souls onboard) Covid infection rate. But now that Japan has ended their "Covid emergency" one can only guess what would happen if a ship had a large number of COVID cases. We were in Japan from mid-march until late April, and during that time there were no restrictions on shore, although masking is still very common in Japan (it is not required or mandated). We did have a loosely enforced onboard masking policy (which HAL blamed on the Japanese authorities) and I do not know if any cruise line is still playing the mask wearing game. DW and I spent a lot of time ashore (including 12 days in March) and seldom wore masks. But a large majority of Japanese still practice some degree of mask wearing (nothing new in their culture) which I suspect will continue for a long time. Hank

Yes. In fact, my favorite HAL ship, the Prinsendam, used the Crows Nest as their piano bar with nightly piano/singing. As I mentioned in another post, when the folks at CCL designed the Seabourn vessels, they included a lounge which was patterned after the Crows Nest. It is a very popular place on Seabourn, because it has an inviting bar, comfy seating, great views, and entertainment (usually a piano and singer or some other duo). When we first cruised on Seabourn, it took me a few days to realize that their Observation Bar (their version of the Crows Nest) felt like home because it was very similar to what we loved on the Prinsendam. Unlike HAL, Seabourn has left their Observation Bar (on each ship) intact. Back in 2017 we did the Voyage of the Vikings cruise on the Rotterdam (the previous version of that vessel) and the Crow's Nest was used for the nightly BB King sets. Those shows were well attended by some passengers and many of the crew (especially the folks that worked in the shops) because it was the place for late night entertainment/dancing. Hank

Although we are frequent cruisers (all over the world) and live within a 3 hour drive of NYC, it is not a place we generally choose for embarkation in Nov or the winter. And this despite having a free "hotel" in NYC (our DD and grandkids live there). It does not take me much longer to fly to Florida than it does to get into NYC! And cruising out of NYC in the winter means at least 4 days of chilly weather, just getting to/from the warmth. The increased cruise competition in Florida also means it is easier to find a good deal and some pretty decent itineraries (for those that care about the ports). I will add that we do enjoy cruising from NY, in the fall, when we can do some Canada/NE itineraries. But we are talking about Sept and Oct (perhaps early Nov). Hank

We are talking about the island's public bus system vs chartered buses (used by all tours/excursions). The regularly scheduled public bus (which leaves from the bus station located in Fira) drops folks at a convenient location adjacent to Oia. But all the other buses, must drop their passengers in a nearby parking lot which is down slope and a bit further from the Oia. And that includes the buses that are used as part of the private boat transfers from below Fira (where the normal tenders dock). I should also mention that if you use a taxi, they can drop folks at the same area used by the public buses (close to the entrance of Oia). The truth is that folks without mobility issues will have no problem with any of the buses or drop points. The issue, I raised, is if you have major mobility problems, what is easy for some becomes very difficult for the mobility impaired. Those with mobility issues might want to cross-post this topic on the "Disabled Cruise Travel" blog (under Special Interest Cruising here on CC). DW and I have been blessed with the ability to walk long distances (we have done 10 miles days on a recent trip to Asia) despite being in our 70s. The issue of "mobility impaired" covers a wide variety of abilities. But we seniors (and others with limitations) need to be honest with themselves..or they will pay a price in misery. The island of Santorini has two popular cities (Fira and Oia) and they both can only be explored on foot (or with the help of a device that can be maneuvered in crowded walkways with slopes. The good news is that. for folks that have limited endurance, there are plenty of places where you can sit-down (be it in a cafe, on a wall, a bench, etc). Hank

Not sure it is really reasonable, in a single port day. The problem is geography. If Pisa is a real priority than you might consider coupling it with a visit to Lucca. Cinque Terre is not an area you can tour in a few short hours, unless you limit yourself to 1 or perhaps 2 of the villages. Also keep in mind that just "hopping" on a train still means you need time to get to the train station :). The Field of Miracles is not within spitting distance of the train station so not only do you have to deal with the crowds (and timed tickets to climb the tower) but also moving between that area and the train station. If you are a fast walker you can get between the tower and station in about 20 min (each way). Taxis are a much faster option, but you cannot always count on finding a taxi when you need one. Hank

Have you been in the city lately? That part of 8th Ave has not changed, although the interior of the newer facility is an improvement. When criminals do not pay a price for committing crimes, they simply commit more crimes with no fear. Hank

We also wrestle with the driving vs Amtrak. From Harrisburg, I can actually drive the 180 miles into NYC faster than the trains! And that assumes the trains run on time...which they often do not! Another weird thing is that I can usually get a one-way rental car for about the same price (or even less) than a couple of Amtrak tickets. And than there is the luggage issue. If driving to the Manhattan cruise terminal (12th Ave around 50th St) I normally drop DW at the entrance along with our luggage, return the rental car, and enjoy the walk back to the cruise port. When I take the train I must deal with the homeless and scary folks around Penn Station, and try to find a taxi driver that understands enough English to get me to 12th Ave, or rely on Uber (pretty good in NYC). The last time we took a train into NYC it was to go to the Red Hook terminal (Brooklyn). The first two taxis in the queue refused to take us (they did not want to go to Red Hook) so we finally summoned Uber! Only in NYC :). We again face this dilemma with a September cruise and are still debating the issue. Do I gamble on the quasi government railroad or my own driving skills? Tough call. We recently spent a few weeks in Japan, and using the trains was a complete pleasure. You could set your watch by the way they kept to the schedule, the trains moved over 160MPH, the ride was smoother than a plane, and the cost was quite reasonable. We could learn from the Japanese who have had their famous bullet trains back in the 70s! Here in the Northeast we still have many trains that plod along at 50MPH (on a good day). Hank

Perhaps Carnival figured that some of their customers could not read 🙂

This is one of those policies that varies among cruise lines. One irony is that there is a basic "rule" that the more expensive/luxury lines all have far fewer announcements than on the mass market lines. On some lines, there may only be a single PA announcement per day which is usually the Captain's daily report done around noon. As to the cabin announcements, this is fully controllable from the Bridge. They have the ability to turn on various groups of speakers and can broadcast into cabins if they so choose. But most cruise lines limit cabin announcements, since they do disturb many folks, interrupt sleep/naps, etc. Most cruise lines do give passengers to ability to monitor just about any announcement in their cabin. They might have control of a speaker, but more often they can get announcements over a specific TV channel. Having cruised on 16 different cruise lines (17 and 18 are now booked) we do find the differences between cruise lines quite interesting. On Seabourn, for example, you will seldom get any announcements other than the Captains daily thing which is sometimes immediately followed by a short Cruise Director update. But the cruise directors on the luxury lines seldom to never make those silly announcements where they basically read the daily schedule. One Seabourn CD told me they figure that folks on their ships are capable of reading the daily schedule (printed, on their Apps, and on TV). And promoting various "sales" is just not the style of luxury lines (where they seldom have any kind of "sale." Hank

Which has been my point, that the cruise had a shorter than normal turn-around day and moved on with their next cruise. This is not consistent (or even possible) on a ship with "significant" damage. But, like many things, we should not let facts get in the way of conjecture, hysteria, and feelings. If any are expecting some kind of inquiry and/or investigation..as they say in NYC...."forget about it.! No injuries, no delay on the next cruise equals no major issue. Those that were awake through the stormy night, now have a story to tell (which will be exaggerated by some). Ask any long time cruiser (we certainly fall into that category) and they all have multiple stores about storms, rough seas, issues onboard, etc. It is all part of the cruising world. If you run into those who were on the Seabourn Spirit in 2005, they can tell you the tale about being attacked by pirates and having an RPG go through a cabin window (it wailed to detonate). That is a real story :). What happened on the Sunshine sounds more like a bad, stormy night, with some issues. Hank

We want to extend a big thanks to all who contributed to this particular blog. I read all the comments (and other related posts) and it helped us decide to book a future 35 day Vista cruise. Hank

This brings up another issue (never posted) we had with the Westerdam. There are no hand washing stations at the Lido entrances. They do have a single hand sanitizer machine at each entrance, but on our cruise the one we used was frequently empty. But it would not have made much difference because we noticed very few cruisers using the sanitizer before they went into the Lido. And the sad fact is that the standard hand sanitizers are near worthless at killing the Norovirus (which is protected by a tough kernel). The best weapon against Noro is simply washing your hands with warm soapy water. Hank

Haven't done the excursion (or any excursion on Santorini) but know the island and Oia...well. The excursion description does sound accurate and may not be very suitable for those with major mobility issues. The bus parking area lies somewhat below Oia, so once off the bus you will need to walk uphill just to get to the town. Once you reach the town, it is all walking and the surfaces do involve some up/down, possible steps, slopes, etc. There is simply no other way to see or enjoy Oia as, like Fira, it is all about walking. It is possible to use electric scooters or wheelchairs, but on a crowded day that can prove to be a real challenge. Only you can assess your own ability to handle this kind of thing. If it is an "on your own" tour (no purpose of having a guide in Oia) than you would have the opportunity to go at your own pace. But you would certainly need your energy and be motivated to handle the slopes and some steps. Hank

LOL, no fear of me taking a position on Murano. In fact, I can see a lot of wisdom in staying on that island or perhaps Burano (our favorite island in the Lagoon). We are thinking of booking the Vista for the 35 days from Miami to Trieste and would try to save you some wine (or other adult beverage). It would be our first "O" cruise as we need some new discussion topics to share with Flatbush Flyer. DW and I have been debating how we would handle the Trieste debarkation...given that it is May 1. Our current thinking is that we would either stay in Trieste a couple of nights (have never been to Trieste) or take the cruise line transfer to Trieste's airport where we can rent a car for a couple of weeks. With a car we would likely drive down to Croatia and also do some exploring of Slovenia. We had also thought about taking a one week yacht cruise (out of either Split or Dubrovnik) but are now thinking it is too early in the season to enjoy swimming in the sea. Eventually we would make our way to MXP, drop the car, and fly back to the States. We might even stop at Venice for a few days, but parking on Murano would be difficult :). Hank

I agreed with Cruisemom, that a beach day is not a particularly good use of one's time if only there for a day. Marazul's advice about going to a Sunday Mass (even if not a Catholic) at the co-cathdral is a terrific idea, but folks should dress appropriately/respectfully. It is one of those "don't miss" places for a first time visit. In fact, going to a morning mass and later taking the bus (or a taxi) over to Mdina would make for a nice day and be a good solution for the later Sunday opening times. There are plenty of places where you can get lunch in Mdina. The first time we visited, we were guided by friends (locals) who took us to Mdina where we went to a cafe that was located on the city walls (at the far end of Mdina from the entrance). Not only did we enjoy coffee, but the views over the countryside were excellent. Hank

If you want to DIY, there are a couple of options. Our preferred way would be to simply rent a car in Le Havre (have done this a few times) and drive ourselves. Under normal traffic conditions it is about a 2:15 min drive (one-way). It is also possible using trains, but this is somewhat complicated and involves changing stations (and trains) in Paris. The train option would take a lot more time and still leave you with a 15 min walk from the Versaille Chantiers station to the palace site. As Versaille, you can either pay to join an English speaking tour, or simply DIY (a good option if you get the Audio Guide). Hank

We posted on this topic during the voyage. I finally accepted that putting in that Arts n Crafts room was a very good move (on the part of HAL) since we noticed that the room was well utilized (especially during sea days). But we also had some major problems with how HAL seemed to go out of their way to destroy the atmosphere (and views) that many of us loved about the old Crows Nest. We still cannot fathom (love this word on marine issues) why HAL put those two large (and ugly) monitor screens in the front/center of the room...thus spoiling the forward view..not to mention leaving less space for well-placed seating. The bar area has been completely ruined (only 3-4 seats left) and could have been better designed for multiple purposes (i.e. coffee and a decent bar). And finally, putting the Shore Excursions Office in the Crow's Nest was a ridiculous move. That Office belongs on deck 2 or 3 in the vicinity of Guest Relations and other offices. The good news is that HAL could easily modify the Crows Nest to bring back most of her prior glory. This space could also benefit from the addition of some entertainment (i.e. a soft duo, piano bar, etc). We love how similar space is utilized on the Seabourn ships (it is called the Observation Lounge) where it is also designed for multi-purpose without ruining the atmosphere and views. Hank Hank

As soon as the cruise lines resumed operations, DW and I resumed cruising :). We quickly booked some amazing cruises (with luxury line) with the thought that it was a great opportunity. When we were docked (on the Seabourn Ovation) in Pireaus back in Aug 2021, the new Celebrity Apex was docked next to us and cruising with less than 50% capacity. What an opportunity for those folks who had some spirit of adventure and could get past all the covidphobia. It was a fabulous time to be moving around the Greek Islands and we knew (at the time) that it was a once in a lifetime kind of thing. Hank

The compensation issue has been raised on the Carnival blog :). No question that some folks on the Sunshine will avoid ships in the future. But such is life on the high seas. The real cruise lovers will simply accept this as part of the game. We have a relative that was on the ill fated Viking Sky cruise that nearly rang aground off the coast of Norway. She was snatched off the deck at 3am, by a Norwegian Coast Guard Helicopter. Of course the Viking Sky, because of a near miracle, managed to restore power and save the ship. Our relative, who at one point was sure she was going to die on that ship, has since gone on 3 more Viking cruises. Stuff happens. Some adjust and move on..and others do not! No different then all those folks who now go through life with constant fear of COVID (I wonder if "covidphobia" is an accepted term). Most of us have adjusted and move on with our lives. But others will never be the same. Hank

As a long time independent traveler (and now quite old) I have developed a real appreciation of luggage logistics. For those of us who routinely do independent travel, the luggage issue is a very important part of trip planning. We recently went through that exercise while traveling in Japan when we had to ship our luggage from one hotel to another, and then a few days later take it on a bullet train...which meant reserving special "Green Car" seats that came with extra luggage storage space. In Venice, the luggage issue is even worse then it is in Japan. In theory, one can take a single piece of large luggage on the Vaporettos or Alilaguna. If you want to take more, you are supposed to pay an extra fee (no big deal) but also need to maneuver all that luggage (by yourself) on and off the boats (and to the hotels). None of this is easy. In fact, it is why one of my favorite Venice hotels (when we have lots of luggage) is a small hotel located in the Piazale Roma. That means we can just take the ATVO bus and easily walk to our hotel (with our luggage). When we travel in Europe, we often choose our hotels because of luggage-related issues. Hank

Poor babies! We are not talking about cruising into a major hurricane (that happened to me on the old Celebrity Meridian) but simply moving into some rough seas. To avoid those seas would have meant going hundreds of miles off course (assuming they had the time), being at least 1 or 2 days late into port (causing major issues for those aboard and all those waiting for the next cruise), etc. Many of those now whining because they had a rough night would have whined because they missed their flights, had their schedule messed-up, etc. My goodness, just look at the Carnival blog and you can already see folks asking about "compensation." For what? A rough night. Like I said, my recent cruise had nearly a week of constant rough gale force weather. So what? We never heard anyone asking for compensation. If you are on an airline flight that hits some turbulence, should you get compensation? While I agree with you that being a day or two late might be necessary for safety, if the info is correct that the Sunshine hit 70MPH winds and 17foot seas....this is just not that big of a deal under normal circumstances. That is why we are curious about the water issues inside that ship. Hank

Perhaps the big story is that the ship did dock, debarked their passengers, and embarked another group. "Severe damage" would have certainly caused the cancelation of the following cruise. Hank

Am following this thread, with lots of interest, since thinking of booking that Vista cruise. Reading some of these posts, I would not recommend that folks with many pieces of luggage even think about using the Alilaguna from VCE into Venice (or the other stops). The problem is that it is a pretty long walk from the airport terminal to the Alilaguna (or water taxi) docks and the availability of a porter (who do not work cheap) is always questionable. Another option, if, heading into Venice take the ATVO Express Airport bus (leaves from right outside the terminal exit) to the Piazale Roma. The buses are quite nice with plenty of luggage storage underneath. Or course that still leaves the problem of how to get to one's hotel from the Piazale Roma...with lots of luggage. So what is the solution for the folks with all that luggage? 1. Take a lot less luggage 🙂 2. Hire a Water Taxi from VCE to their hotel (this will cost over 120 Euros). Hank