Hlitner

You will find no bigger fan of the IC then moi :). It is my Princess "hang out" and a strong incentive for us to book Princess cruises (we cruise on many different lines). On most mornings, I will be out of our cabin (while DW sleeps) and down at seat near the IC enjoying my cappucino and a donut, egg sandwich, pastry, etc. We seldom go to the Lido (or MDR) for breakfast. The IC/Atrium area is also a great place for people watching, meeting new folks, socializing, etc. Hank

We were back in Yokohama for two more turn-around days, and had good weather on those days. We really enjoyed walking over the Chinatown (for lunch) and exploring the park (close to the port) where they had terrific flora exhibits (all the flowers were in bloom). Hank

Have no clue what product they will use in the future. In the past, we have actually been on Princess when they did use Lavazza (at the IC). In the interests of full disclosure, I use Lavazza at home (for my expresso machine) and buy it by the carton (6 - 1 Kilo bags) at amazing prices. The only product I like better than Lavazza are some of the Illy products, but I am too cheap to pay for that stuff. Hank

I have long been critical of how "O" handles cruise air...when compared to many other cruise lines. Not only do they have a ridiculous deviation fee (for many options), but they do not have an online booking engine. So, for example, if we book a cruise with Seabourn, HAL, Cunard, Princess, etc. we can go online to their air booking engine, choose our flights (just like on most air booking engines), use various airports (in Europe there are often more than a dozen options which works well for folks that want to do some land travel pre or post cruise), see the fares, and make one's choice. Most cruise lines offer a "Flex" air option which means you are not charged for the ticket until around 60 days prior to the flight. So that gives one an additional option of changing or cancelling flights with no penalty (until about 45 days prior to the flight). I have long wondered why "O" (and NCLH) does not have a similar user friendly system. The reality is that it costs the cruise line nothing since these booking engines/sites are generally handled by a third party commercial air travel company. Hank

We stayed at the Park Royal (Yokohama) where the rooms are all above the 60th floor. A great location because there is a large attached shopping complex. The day we arrived in Yokohama it was chilly, windy, with a deluge of horizontal rain. We simply walked through the complex over to the shopping area where there were multiple restaurants. On that day, the name of the game was staying indoors and dry! Hank

Just beware that the bar menus are more "advisory" then real. On our last few Princess cruises it was not uncommon for various menu items not to be stocked at a particular bar or even on the ship (always blamed on supply chain issues). This is not just an issue on Princess but has also happened to us (in the past year) on both HAL and Seabourn (along with Princess these are all part of the HAL Group). Hank

As a long time fan of the IC, I would point out that their coffee is "small batch" vs the huge machines in the Lido and MDR Galley. Small batch means it is much fresher and they also use decent beans as opposed to the more commercial brew found in other venue. DW would echo the post of DC Thunder. She has been known to come to the IC with her own tea bags and simply ask for a cup of hot water (no charge). Hank

I believe that is a Danish Coast Guard chopper.

As one who often rents cars in Europe, we would warn folks (have often done this here on CC) that you need to always check the toll rules (in some countries googling "Vignette" will be helpful) on every country where you intend to drive. Besides Slovenia, another country that can be a problem is Switzerland and Austria. We also suggest that folks renting cars review the parking rules for each country. I do find it odd that the OP was not warned by their rental car company. In fact, it is important to tell the rental car agent of your intent to drive to other countries. It may be prohibited by your rental contract, or you may have to pay an extra fee to the rental car company. For example, when we recently rented a car in the Czech Republic, we were required to pay a small extra fee because we were going to drive into Poland. In our particular case, the extra fee (I think it was about 10 Euros) was a requirement of the insurance that came with the rental car. Hank

This link may help answer your questions: https://www.touristcardmx.com/news/travel-mexico-criminal-record#:~:text=Mexican immigration authorities may refuse,Could compromise national security Since you show a LA location, you might want to simply call or visit the local Mexican Consulate and ask the question. Hank

Our favorite such lecturer was Frank Buckingham (he would say "an Oxford Man") who had an amazing knowledge of European ports. Frank worked for HAL, would do port lectures in the main theater that had nothing to do with excursions, and then would hold desk hours (in the library) for individual passengers. As you say, those days are sadly gone as most cruise lines only seem to be interested in things that generate onboard revenue (hence lectures intended to sell excursions). Hank

My goodness that is far from the truth. Yes, we cancelled an 18 day Marina cruise that was supposed to be from Miami to Lima. 3 weeks before the cruise, O changed must of the itinerary including a change of the debarkation port to Santiago, Chile instead of Lima. Those of us who had booked our own air (which were many) were on our own! Two days later, O sent us an e-mail and said they were still not sure about the itinerary and we should wait a few more days. They finally confirmed the changes (less than 3 weeks before embarkation) and we cancelled because it had changed to a completely different cruise. "O" did not want to refund money (they wanted to give future cruise credits) but after a letter to the CEO, they did give us a full refund. And now you know the rest of story (and this is the short version). In fairness to "O," they were also somewhat of a victim because Peru kept changing their rules vis-a-vis COVID...which is what caused all the changes. We do not hold that incident against O. Hank

We used to do a lot of cruising on Celebrity, but that ended when Lisa Lutoff-Perlo became their CEO and decided that Celebrity was giving too much for too little and decided it was fine to cut-back (mostly little things) while increasing prices. When we look at the newer Celebrity Edge Class ships, we have no interest in their Infinity Cabins (essentially a window that opens) and would be happy to cruise in one of their "retreat" eligible suites. But those are often priced at around $1000 per passenger day which we think is ridiculous for a mass market line. Perhaps the good news is that Lutoff-Perlo has been kicked upstairs (I think Vice Chairman of the Board) and there is another CEO. That being said, as long as X can sell those suites at ridiculous prices (more than most luxury lines) there is no incentive for them to adjust prices. DW and I have really been debating booking one of two O cruises (either the Marina or a longer Vista cruise) because we like trying different lines. Explora Journeys will be our 17th cruise line and if we do O it would be the 18th :). I am still trying to convince myself that "O" is worth the premium prices. Hank

DW and I both research our ports/countries when we are trip planning. We are very independent travelers (all over the world) and follow a basic rule of "know your options" but not over plan. In many cases we do not even know our daily plan until we walk off a ship. This allows us to modify our day based on the weather, our mood, and current circumstances. Count me as another who is not a big fan of cruise sponsored port talks. Most (not all) are aimed at encouraging folks to book cruise line excursions. We have had excellent experiences on 6 continents with many different cruise lines and itineraries. One great advantage to DIY independent travel is that, when things go wrong, you have nobody to blame but yourself :). From many of the comments we have heard on cruises, it sometimes seems that folks book excursions so they have something to whine about!

We have cruised (nearly 100 days post COVID), do not mask unless it is mandatory, have traveled around Europe and Asia, and have NOT had Covid. Why? Who knows? Yes, we have kept up with our vaccinations (required for many of our trips and cruises), but otherwise, have done nothing special other than to use some common sense. Why do I post this info? Because just like the OP (who got COVID) it is just an anecdotal story. In fact, we just returned from an 8 week trip to Asia (including a 42 day cruise) where we did not get COVID (or any other serious illness) So here is my warning to the OP. Staying home, wearing masks, and social distancing can also be dangerous to your health. We say this because most of the folks, we know, who followed this routine have had COVID at least once. We have concluded that there will be many more cruises (and travel) in our future 🙂 Hank

But that turns out to be a total crock and here is why! A back to back passenger can simply go to the concierge, the PG, etc. on the morning of the turn around day (before any of the new passengers have a chance to board) and make all the reservations they please. How do I know this? Because it is exactly what we did on our recent back to back to back Westy cruise. Hank

I am very careful when recommending MSC to suggest that we only suggest their Yacht Club. But, we are mildly excited by their new cruise line (Explora Journeys) because they are medium sized ships (less than 50,000 tons and only 900 passengers). The tale (we cannot verify it is true) told by some is that Mrs. Aponte has long wanted a luxury cruise line. A few years ago, they made the decision to invest Billions into a new line and further decided to operate it independent from MSC. Explora Journeys has been busy hiring some very good folks from other lines (such as Oceania) and hotel chains. We expected them to dip into the MSC Yacht Club staff (terrific folks) but they decided to go outside and bring in folks from multiple cruise lines, hotel chains, and high end restaurants. The Explora Journey I ship (currently docked in Italy) is getting ready for her first cruise and it is an interesting design. There is no Main Dining Room (MDR) but rather, a larger number of smaller dining venues. There is also no main theater, but several lounges that will be used for entertainment. The MSC folks have always been leaders, rather than followers, in how they design and operate their ships. Explora Journeys will be different...but nobody knows whether that is a good thing or not! We will find out this fall when we try her for an 18 day cruise. Price-wise, after some price increases the line is competitive with lines like Seabourn and Silverseas. Those of us who booked early got prices far below what a Neptune Suite would cost. Like many long time HAL cruisers, we prefer smaller ships (I like no more than 1200 passenger). While we do cruise on some very large ships, we have never waned in our desire for smaller ships (we are looking at a 38 passenger boat for a cruise in Croatia). But, as many of us know, small ships usually comes with very high prices :(. The trick is to find deals on smaller ships that do not break the bank. Hank

The elder Aponte is said to only be worth $11.4 Billion per Forbes. The Container ship brand has over 500 ships. Since they are privately held, they are able to make changes without having to deal with a board or stockholders. There are quite a few ex HAL employees (including one Senior officer who is a personal friend) who now work for MSC. Two of their newer ships carry over 6000 passengers (a bit large for my taste). The company is much better known in Europe where they have a large presence. We have only cruised MSC out of Miami, and our cruises always have a high percentage of Europeans. It has a very international feel, they do some things right (like having a Production Show every night) and other things that leave much to be desired. But I have said for about 5 years that their Yacht Club is the best "value" in the entire cruise industry. Even today, after some recent price increases, one can cruise in the YC for about $400 per passenger day. This is an all inclusive price (except for tips) that includes unlimited top shelf booze, wine, french champagne, 2 dedicated private dining venues, an expansive lounge with nightly entertainment, etc. The YC enclave is separated from the rest of the ship by electronic doors (activated by YC cruiser's cards). NCL's Haven Suite area would be the closest competition to this type of cruising. Hank

Yes, it is a privately held company with the major owners being the Aponte family. They benefit from being the largest container ship company in the world which has been immensely profitable during the past few years. I will add that in our most recent MSC cruise (in the Yacht Club) back in December, there were no "supply chain" shortages, no observed cutbacks, etc. MSC has recently spun off a new luxury cruise line (their first ship has its maiden voyage in July) and is in the process of building six, 900 passenger luxury all-suite ships. They also continue to add 1-2 new ships a year (mostly 4000+ pasengers) to their MSC brand. For those curious about this company (now building their own facility at the Port of Miami) the last I looked they had 4 ships cruising in this part of the world. In terms of the experience, the regular part of their new ships is akin to Carnival in terms of quality, but their ship within a ship "Yacht Club" (about 200-250 passengers) is a luxury experience in every way except for their cuisine, which is not up to luxury standards (but far better than the cuisine on HAL). Hank

Kind of up there with Time Share Salesfolks.

Here is my advice for those cruising out of Port Everglades. Assuming you spend a pre-cruise night in Ft Lauderdale, stay somewhere near 17th street and go to Kelly's Landing for dinner (no reservations so be prepared for a wait). That restaurant is like a New England place in Florida and they have wonderful live lobster (we are talking whole Maine lobster with the wonderful claws) or lobster tails (much larger than what you get on a cruise. And these folks know how to properly cook lobster. I get the lobster issue on cruise ships. Go to a decent Supermarket (i.e. Wegmans, Costco, etc) and price out a decent cold water lobster tail. The prices are outrageous. And if you think lobster tails are ridiculous, a few weeks ago we were in Alaska where a single (that means ONE) King Crab Leg was $119.95 which did not include the sides, tax or tip. Hank

Good question. We had originally booked a similar Noordam (Japan itinerary) about 5 years ago, when HAL was somewhat different than it is today. That cruise was cancelled in Feb 2020 and our reservation was rolled over to the 2021 cruise, The 2021 cruise was also cancelled and our reservation rolled over to 2022. The 2022 cruise was also cancelled and rolled over the 2023 Westerdam cruise. While we could have cancelled at any time, HAL, kept sweetening the pot by holding prices and tossing in extra OBC. Once the restart took hold, we heard (mostly on CC) about some "issues" on HAL but we would have lost a substantial amount of OBCs if we had cancelled. We were also able to lock into decent Business Class flights to Japan (using EZAIR) and DW and I wanted to get back to Japan this year (we flew in 12 days before the cruise). We went on the cruise with very lowered expectations, some things were better than expected (the food prep in the MDR was decent), and many other items were at or below those lowered expectations. Nobody could be sure what kind of product HAL would have in Asia since nobody had cruised there in several years. I think only HAL could run out of black tea (Earl Grey, Liptons, English Breakfast, etc) in Asia when there are tons of tea shops in every port :). And by the way, they did eventually get some tea but had to send one of the Maitre d's on a shopping trip in one of the ports :). I should add that we met many folks on our cruise who were in a similar situation (they had booked 1 or 2 years prior to COVID). Hank

Because of your post, I went back and re-read the OP's post. I have no problem with the post and agree with most of what she says except where she talks about the idea of CCL providing more financial support to HAL. CCL has over $30 Billion in debt and is not in a good position to invest more money in their companies. At this point we assume much of the conversation in the executive suites is how to meet future debt service. To put it mildly, CCL is in financial trouble and the future of that Corportation, and HAL, is in question. However, I do have a big problem with your post which is simply a critique of a poster and not a rebuttal of what was posted. Having just come off 42 days on the Westerdam we have no doubt that HAL has cut-back on just about everything onboard (cuisine, entertainment, crew/passenger ratio, etc). The supply chain issues mentioned by the OP were very apparent throughout our cruise. My only remaining question about HAL is whether the huge decline (in multiple areas) we experienced on the Westerdam is primarily a problem with that single ship or a fleet-wide trend.

Interesting about the tour desk thing. Many cruise lines quietly use a third party company to staff that task. I do not know if this is the case with "O", but just fruit for thought. Many folks are not aware of the extent some lines go to outsource various onboard specialty functions such as photographers, shop staff, casinos, excursion desk, etc. Hank

I believe that hotel is in Rome! The OP is asking about Civitaveccia.