Hlitner

There is a difference between "discounts," OBCs, rebates, etc. Several cruise lines upon which we cruise have never allowed anyone to discount their prices. But that does not stop agencies from giving out generous On Board Credits and even post cruise rebates. There are also some agencies that will toss in related perks such as a pre-cruise hotel (we have never dealt with an agency that plays this game). One well-known online agency also puts together cruise packages that may include pre-post cruise land stays, air, etc. In Europe, it is common for major travel providers to bundle charter flights into packages that include cruises. Think of it this way. Lets say you pay $10,000 for a cruise booked directly with a cruise line. If you book with a cruise/travel agency you will usually also pay $10,000. But the agency may toss-in $700 of On Board Credit plus pre-paid gratuities. Or that same agency may offer an alternative where they will send you a check for $1000 a few weeks after you return from the cruise. Many of the best deals are not advertised, so you must register (usually free) with various agencies to learn about their private deals. The reality is that unless you shop around (among reputable high-volume agencies) you will never know what you are missing. Another way to save big bucks (on the cruise fare) is to be a gambler. Some folks get cruises for huge discounts and sometimes even Free (they usually must pay the taxes/fees) because they spend a lot of time in the casino. That is not our thing, but we know folks who cruise on lines like HAL and MSC for ridiculously low prices. Of course, they may lose fortune in the casinos, but others will tell you they often win or break-even. "Casino specials" seem to have become more common since the COVID shutdown.

No! If you are expecting a group of professional tour guides just waiting at the port, it is not going to happen. Unless things have changed, you will tender into a small pier located inside a secure port area. There will be taxis, and some folks (good and bad) who will try to get your business. The last time we were in Nha Trang, DW and I walked a long way (over a mile) to a local beach club. If you want a local tour, you can negotiate with a taxi driver and hope for the best. It will be hit/miss with some drivers speaking some English and others only knowing a few words. Some might give you a decent drive/tour and others will not! Nha Trang has actually become a major travel destination for Russians, so the odds are better that you will find a Russian speaking guide :). When DW and I were at a decent beach club, a majority of the folks we met on the beach (and in the associated cafe) were all from Russia. Just a tidbit, but when I was first in Nha Trang back in 1970 (Vietnam War) we had a nice little air base in the town. That airbase is now the local airport :). I remember thinking (in 1970) that this part of Vietnam would someday be a decent beach resort city. It never ocurred to me that it would be mostly Russian tourists that visited the city. I will be curious to read some new reviews and find out if the Russian tourist business has been maintained during the Ukraine War. Hank

I truly do not think some fellow Americans get it! It is not whether tips are accepted (call it welcomed if you please) but rather if it is the norm (I prefer to term mores). Folks in the tourist industry are not fools, and most are happy to take you money. It is not much different than walking down the street and just handing out money to anyone that seems willing to accept it :). As a long time (over 50 years) international traveler I prefer to go along with the local norms rather than force my own ideas on folks. The so-called UGLY American term came from Americans traveling all over the world and insisting on projecting American mores/values on the world! As an independent traveler we have long made it our business to learn of the local/regional/national norms/mores and generally embrace those traditions. It is no different than a European visiting the USA and tipping 18-20% even though that goes against everything they believe. In the past 20 years, more Americans than ever have been expanding their travel horizons and enjoying much of the world. These days, the Internet makes it easy to learn about the traditions, dos and don'ts, and mores of just about anywhere on earth. Become a savvy traveler, do your homework, and follow the norms. Nobody is going to think better of you because you insist on projecting your own habits. Hank

The toughest part is finding the bus parking area (it is not really a bus station) since it involves walking through the winding streets of town. A working phone with a map program is very helpful. Otherwise, just download a map and print a hard copy or hope to find maps at town. Folks are helpful and you are looking for the bus station on the windmill side of town (the furthest distance from the cruise port). You are right about DK Oysters, which might rival some of the worst tourist rip-offs in Europe. I recently read that they were finally fined (30,000 Euros was mentioned) although I think it is too little too late. It is relatively close to the bus stop and easy to avoid. Over the years we have had lunch at a few of the places along the beach and they were all OK. For us it is more a matter of finding a place with comfy loungers (we prefer thick cushions) and then negotiating a deal. You can ask to look at a menu before you decide to rent a lounger and we have never had any rip-off issues (but we have long known to avoid DK Oysters). Hank

Well, we have cruised on 16 cruise lines (over more than 50 years) and have always saved money by using discount cruise agencies. I am not aware of any cruise line where decent cruise agencies will not offer some kind of On Board Credit and/or other amenities. Savings are generally based on a percentage of the cruise price, so no question that booking a low cost cruise will generate lower dollar savings. We currently have 4 cruises booked (3 different cruise lines) and our lowest OBC is $450 with the highest $2250! That represents savings that will not happen if booking direct with the cruise lines. Hank

Yes, we have been there on crowded days, but fortunately, the ship's arrival/departure times were staggered to help deal with all the folks. We have never waited more than a half-hour to get the cable car up. All our major problems have been with getting down. Consider that even a single ship with 4000 passengers would need many hours to get most folks down. A majority of our cruises have delayed their departure in order to allow additional time to get everyone down. Most ships will station a crew person (with a radio) at the upper station to monitor the situation. The problem is that there is never a guarantee that ships will wait, but we have never seen a post here on CC about a ship leaving behind many folks who have been stuck at the top. Hank

We have done many TAs (measured in the dozens) and best Internet we had was on the QM2. Princess has been hit/miss. I think Internet connections have suffered, in recent years, as more folks now use devices. Shipboard Internet speeds are based on many factors including atmospheric conditions, the amount of bandwidth purchased by the ship, how much of that bandwidth is allocated to the passengers, how many folks are using the Internet at the same time, location of the vessel, etc. Many are now wondering if the new Starlink system (developed by Elon Musk) will ultimately give us all better Internet at sea. That remains to be seen. Hank

Our last Carnival cruise was back in 2005 or 2006 on the Carnival Spirit. We were on our way to Australia, stopped in CA for a few days, and grabbed a week Spirit cruise to the Mexican Riviera. My one memory of that cruise was that the noise from the props, in part of the restaurant (Empire) was deafening. I had never heard such a racket on any ship (we have been on more than 60 different cruise ships) and thought it must have been an engineering fiasco or an issue with a bad prop. I always wondered if this had been repaired, or if it is a cavitation-related problem inherent in the design, Hank

Another option, which has often been mentioned on these boards, is to take a private boat over to Oia. The boats depart from the same pier where you will arrive on the tender. As you walk along the pier (towards dry land) you will normally see some vendors holding signs offering boat tours. The Oia transfer boats include a transfer across the cauldron/bay to a small pier located below Oia. You than will walk a short distance to a mini-bus/van which will drive you up the steep windy road to Oia, where you are on your own, Oia is a very walkable town and early in the morning your best option is to stop at a picturesque cafe for breakfast/coffee and the view. The transfer boat folks will also give you a bus ticket for a transfer bus back to Fira which usually runs on some kind of schedule (they will give you this information). The one negative issue (we have previously pointed this out) with the private boat transfers is that they will often sit around waiting to get a full load before they depart for Oia. But with so many folks tendering (on your day) I suspect the wait will not be too long (ask before you buy the transfer). The boat transfer solves a couple of issues. Not only is it a nice way to get over to Oia (just about everyone wants to visit this town), but you completely avoid the cable car (or walking up the hill). Of course at some point, later in the day, you (and nearly everyone else on a cruise ship) will need to use the cable car (in Fira) to get down to the tender pier. The alternative is walking (at least it is all downhill) but the warnings are valid about avoiding the donkey poo and being careful not to slip. If the weather and sea conditions cooperate, there will also be some other private tours sold on that same tender pier (when you arrive below Fira from your ship). There are usually some boat tours around the island and boat tours that include a visit to the famous Blue Grotto. While many would call the Blue grotto a true tourist trap, many others would suggest that it is something to be done once in a lifetime (and just smile at the cost and too obvious pushing for tips). The Blue Grotto tour involves taking a relatively small (perhaps 12 people) boat from that tender pier (below Fira) to near the Blue Grotto. You than need to transfer into a very small rowboat what will take you into the Blue Grotto. You later return to your "mother boat" and transfer back for your return ride to that same tender pier where this all started. At that point you are again faced with the same issue of needing to use the cable car, climbing up the hill, or getting a boat over to Oia. Hank

Different folks have different taste, but I am not a big fan of HAL margaritas or the tmargaritas on most cruise lines. I think that comes from having lived in Mexico for the past 17 winters and drinking great "killer" margaritas on a daily basis. My drink of choice on most cruise ships are various whiskeys either straight or on the rocks because a bar tender cannot screw that up with various mixers meant to "extend" the size of cocktails without doing anything positive for the taste. So, what is the perfect margarita? We think it is a drink with no mixers to dilute the flavor. In my condo we make our margaritas with a decent (not great) reposado tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, and Controy (a Mexican orange liquor). If anyone wants to water down that drink, they can add some lime soda (such as Squirt) although I think it just ruins the drink. My basic formula is 3 parts tequilia, 2 parts Controy and 1 part lime juice (only fresh). Since it is hard to find Controy outside of Mexico one can substitute Cointreau but use a slightly smaller amount (about 1 1/2 parts) than with Controy. If you want to try something different you can use Grand Marnier instead, but even less of this stuff will do the trick. I am not a fan of using Triple Sec which is best left to those who cannot afford a decent orange liquor :). The only really good margarita I ever had on any cruise ship was on the Seabourn Ovation where we had a Mexican bar tender (from near Cancun) who really knew his job. He did not use any mixers, but had his own little touch which was to add a few drops of fresh squeezed orange juice...which varied depending on the tequilia. Hank

There are many factors. Many Caribbean islands do not even want cruise ships (especially large cruise ships). The islands that do accept large ships have limited pier space and the cruise lines prefer to avoid tendering. And, has been posted, since most cruises are 7 days, there are only a limited number of islands within range. If you take a longer Caribbean cruise (such as 10 days +) there are ohter options such as Aruba, Curacao, of even ports in places like Costa Rica. Another option, for those that want to stick to short 7 day cruises, is to take cruises that embark from San Juan, St Maarten or Barbados. Using those embarkation ports means that many more islands are within cruising range. One other thing. Try expanding your horizons to other cruise lines :). Once you become more flexible, a lot of new options become available. Hank

I admit to being an airline amateur compared to many on this blog. But, for several years, I have argued that US airlines think of their schedules as advisory and not real. They are so focused on protecting their turf, and slots, that they schedule flights that they are well aware can never happen for lack of aircraft, pilots, staff, etc. So today, we hear that AA has just cancelled over 50.000 summer flights! These flights were all on their long-term schedule (usually available for booking about 330 days in advance)! 50,0000 flights cancelled! That is an outrage and if our government had any kind of leadership they would go after AA for this BS. At the very least, AA should lose many of their allotted slots in and out of major airports (which have a limited number of slots). If AA cannot operate these flights, perhaps other airlines will fill the void. We, ourselves, have already become victim of one AA cancellation that has caused us some major issues. For our upcoming flight to Asia, we at least had enough sense to book foreign carriers with a reputation of standing behind their published schedules. As consumers, we often get blindsided and screwed by our domestic airlines who seem to put their customers last in terms of comfort, schedules, support, etc. I am a big believer in competition, but the current system of slots and airport gates, in the USA, seems to be designed to support the existing airlines, keep out new competition, and screw the consumers. Airlines schedule flights that they never intend to fly just to maintain their hourly slots (and airport gates). It is a game played by all the domestic airlines and the losers are we consumers! Enough! Hank

We are big fans of Rick Steve's, but he is worthless when it comes to Asia, Africa, South America, etc. For some reason, many folks assume that all cruisers only go to the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe. There is a big part of the world beyond those places, and they become more of a challenge because of the lack of information such as what we can get from Rick Steves. I think that that Asian market is about to explode with tourism, as folks have been closed out for several years Suddenly, most of the world is back in play (in terms or tourism) which is both exciting an a bigger challenge. Hank

We will not be in Paris this Spring/Summer so no chance to check it out. For many years we had a great source of information (a high end Antwerp Jeweler who spent a lot of time in Paris, was a true gourmet, and made it his life's work to discover the up and coming Parisian chefs and restaurants. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us and his amazing tips are no more. Now, we have to rely on our own instincts and various tips. We tend to avoid the well-known places (like Jules Verne) and seek out the lesser-known places working very hard to please. I will admit that Jules Verne certainly has one of the great restaurant locations in the entire world. Hank

So, if I understand, you prefer to stand around waiting for an omelet rather than sitting at a table and waiting for somebody to deliver your omelet. Hmmm. Hank

I must agree with Marazul. Paris/Seine cruises are fine and there are many options. You can do it day or night. But most of the popular dinner cruises do not have particularly outstanding food. You are in a city where even small local cafes can have amazing food, so why settle for overpriced mediocre banquet food on a boat. You can enjoy an outstanding dinner and a wonderful river cruise, but not so sure the two go together. I will admit to being curious about the Restaurant Ducasse sur Seine dinner cruise )ONLY 265 Euros including drinks per person) but do not know anyone who has done this particular dinner cruise so will not make a recommendation. The fact that Alain Ducasse has lent his name to this endeavor gives it some credibility. Whether this is truly a decent meal (and cruise) or just one more tourist trap Bateau Marche is a question that can only be answered by some real reviews. Hank

Back in late 2021 we were on a different Princess ship where many of the table games were closed (for a few days). I happened to meet the Assistant Casino Manager and asked her about the closed tables. She told me that several of her dealers were confined to their cabins due to illness (likely COVID) and she had to close down some tables because they did not have enough staff. I think many passengers forget that cruise ships do not carry extra staff and the same kind of health issues that impact cruisers also create staffing problems on ships. Hank

We do please guilty to being cruise hypocrites! Why? We love to cruise, but also do a lot of independent land travel. As a result, we think we have good understanding of how cruise ships (especially large ships) have ruined (and are in the process of ruining) many wonderful parts of the world. More and more cruise ports (all over the world) are now realizing that the big ships are just too damaging to their environment, infrastructure, and charm (which attracts tourists who spend lots of money). Just consider the island of St Barts, which is a popular vacation island for jet-setters and other visitors with the financial means to stay and eat on that island. St Barts is a truly charming place with many world-class restaurants, little crime, no traffic problems, etc. On St Barts you will not find Diamonds International or cheap T-shirt shops, but you will find Fine Jewelers, high-end boutiques, etc. Just having lunch at a beachfront cafe can set a couple back over $100, but few who vacation on that island complain. The last thing they want are thousands of cruisers invading their quiet island. We have sadly watched as the Cinque Terre area (Italy) is being destroyed because of hoards or day tourists. While they always managed to deal with this, in years past, they are now overwhelmed because of nearby La Spezia being used as a cruise port. Just a single 4000 passenger ship in that port, can flood a small village like Riomaggiore with too many people. The once charming village now routinely has a situation where hundreds (or more) are trying to cram on the relatively small trains that move through the various villages. The Italian Government has already installed movable barriers on the main access road with the intent of closing the road on days when the area is overun by tourists. This is not all the fault of the cruise ships (there are plenty of other tourists flooding this area) but adding 4-8000 cruisers to the mix may be the straw that has broken the back of this wonderful, charming area. There are no easy answers to "overtourism" but it is rapidly turning into a we vs they issue with cruise lines becoming the goat! I have long argued that cruise ships have completely ruined the once charming island of St Thomas. The island embraced cruise ships, helped develop two cruise ports, and now is paying the price. Many tourists who used to flock to this island's decent hotels/resorts now go elsewhere. The once charming Charlotte Amalie, full of nice ships, linen stores, etc. has become a cliche cruise town with chair stores (that only go where cruisers go). The cute boutiques and fine linen shops have mostly disappeared by one can certainly find wall to wall jewelry and electronic stores that mostly rely on cruisers. Just consider that the town of Charlotte Amalie's population (about 16,000) can expand to over 50,000 for a few hours when there are 6 or 7 cruise ships in town. I recently read a post from a couple who missed their cruise ship (in St Thomas) because they were stuck in traffic trying to get through Charlotte Amalie back to the port! This is a charming Caribbean Island? Not anymore! Hank

Just an idea for the OP. If you have an interest in Paxlovid, you might want to discuss this with your family physician. We do a lot of travel (both cruises and independent international travel) and brought this issue up with our own physician. He simply gave us prescriptions for Paxlovid (we have a prescription plan that covers the cost of the drug) and told us to carry it when we travel. I have enough of a medical background to understand when using this drug is a good idea. I should add that we also travel with COVID test kits so we have the ability to ascertain if we even have the disease. Paxlovid certainly has its pros and cons and also has many nasty drug interactions. That is just another reason to have a face to face chat with your own physician about whether this is a good option. Hank

Even as an avid cruiser, our favorite Caribbean port are some islands that do not allow cruise ships (or only allow a few small luxury ships). These are islands like St Barts, Anguilla, etc. As to Caribbean cruise ports, St Maarten is high on our list (but we know where to go to get far away from the masses of other cruisers) and St Lucia does have its charms. Folks might wonder why avid cruisers are not big fans of Caribbean Islands that have lots of cruisers. Just try driving through Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas) on a day when there are 40,000 cruisers on the island :(. or... walk through Phillipsburg, St Maarten on a day when the island has 30,000 cruisers and than go to that same town on a Saturday when there are no cruise ships in port. Big difference. Hank

Not all travel/cruise agencies are alike :). Some offer nice discounts and/or On Board Credits while others may even charge you a fee. That is why we always suggest that folks shop around among a few reputable high volume discount cruise agencies (mostly found online). K We book 70-100+ cruise days a year and always do it with our favored cruise agencies (we currently use two). As a general rule we expect to save 7-10% compared to booking direct with a cruise line. On some of our bookings we have actually saved thousands of dollars on a single booking by simply choosing the right cruise agency. Keep in mind that we are talking about percentage savings. If you book a 4 day inexpensive cruise for less than $1000 you are going to save a lot of money by shopping around. On the other hand, if you book a $200,000 World Cruise (these do exist and can even cost more) you might save $15-$20,000 by shopping around Hank

The dirty secret about vaccines and testing is that many of the rules are imposed by various countries, not the cruise lines. So, for example, when we go to Japan this Spring, they require folks have 3 Covid shots (2 shots plus a booster) or one needs to jump through some pre-testing hoops (a real pain and expensive). Most European countries have done away with all their COVID restrictions. That being said, travelers need to consider what happens if you do get sick (COVID or anything else) when traveling outside your own country. It is very wise to have medical insurance that will give you international coverage. So, what happens if you get COVID (or some other contagious illness) while on a cruise ship? It does vary by cruise line, but you are likely going to be quarantined (either in your own cabin or one set aside for such a purpose) for some period of time. With COVID, it is normal to be required to quarantine for 5-10 days (depending on the cruise line and you test results). Some cruise lines still include some financial adjustment while others no longer give you anything other than medical support (for which you may need to pay). Hank

All the cruise lines sell excursions operated by local contractors. The cruise lines do not actually operate any of the excursions, so in a way, they are simply a third party booking agency. It even gets crazier because these days most cruise lines hire a private third-party company to operate their on-board excursion desks. So now we get to the issue of cruise line excursions versus private tours versus Do It Yourself (DIY). While I will admit to being a DIY person (all over the world for more than 50 years) there are certainly good reasons to book excursions or private tours. DW and I truly dislike cruise line excursions because we do not get excited about being in a group of 50-60 and moving at the pace of the slowest person. Just having a rest room stop for 60 folks can take a half-hour and watching some excursion groups get on and off the tour bus is sometimes like watching the turtle race the tortoise. We are bigger fans of very small group private tours, and this is where being active on your Cruise Critic Roll Call (this is specific to each cruise) is a good thing. You can join with a few others and find yourself in a group of 4, 6, 10 etc. DIY is a terrific option for folks who are willing to do their pre-cruise homework, have some "spirit of adventure," and also have a degree of travel common sense. Being on your own gives you maximum flexibility, but the price is you need to do the planning and choreograph your plans so that you are always back to the ship on time. We have been doing this all over the the world and never (knock on wood) missed the ship. If you are simply exploring an area near the port (such as in Kotor, Montenegro) than DIY is easy. When you want to go some distance from the ship (such as from Livorno to Florence), than you need to be somewhat more careful with your planning to make sure you get back to the port (one tip is to allow yourself some extra time and never rely on the last train). I should add that DIY can save you an awful lot of money. Just consider a family of 4 who books a walking tour of Kotor. They will likely spend about $200 to simply walk around a compact town that is within spitting distance of their ship. They could do that same walk on their own for zero dollars! In many ports, instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a guide and bus, one can use the local buses for a few dollars and download an app that will direct them on a local DIY tour. Hope this helps the OP. On any cruise you are going to find plenty of folks who do all three options (excursions, private tours, and DIY).

Our vote goes to the smaller Seabourn ships (400 passenger). Going to a place like Icy Strait Point, with only 400 passengers, is so much nicer than sharing that place with 3000+ of your friends. Hank

We have stayed there too often (the bar is again open) and the rooms are in need of a major update. The lobby area was recently renovated and is quite nice. We like that "Kellys Landing" is only a short walk and a place where we can get real Maine Lobster (not like the garbage lobster tails served on most cruises), great Chowder, etc. The recent price increases at the Embassy Suite are an incentive to look for a new place. Hank