Hlitner

Where to start. We regularly cruise on Seabourn, but also enjoy the Yacht Club on Caribbean cruises. DW and I could probably write a long chapter "why we love the Yacht Club" but not going to bore folks with that kind of detail. In some ways you are comparing apples to oranges. We have no desire to cruise on MSC in Europe since there are many better options that meet our wants. I also do not like how MSC operates like a ferry company in Europe (embarkation/debarkation at nearly every port) which is not an issue with the Caribbean itineraries. As to cost, we have done our research (and also many bookings) at the YC normally prices around $400 per person/day a typical Deluxe YC Suite (more like a large cabin than a real suite). It is difficult to get that kind of price (or anything close) on what you call a "prestigious" cruise line. We did once snag a great deal on Seabourn (out of Barbados) but the hassles of flying to Barbados, spending a few pre-cruise days in a resort, etc. cost us a lot more than simply flying to Miami for MSC. One big advantage that MSC has over luxury lines is with entertainment. In the YC, you get many of the advantages of a luxury cruise experience, but always have the ability to go through those electronic doors and mix with the "riff-raff" as you enjoy the nightly Production Shows, multiple music venues, etc. That is quite different from the entertainment one gets on the luxury lines. Hank

I do think all the stars align to join the ship in Marseille (i.e. it is a MSC embarkation port, within the EU, etc) but agree that you would want to maintain good communications with MSC. Certainly check in advance and get information (i.e. phone numbers, e-mails, etc) how to keep MSC in the loop. You also would need to have a "Plan B" on how you will get to Marseille. It is not as easy as you might think, especially at the last minute. Train connections are not great, buses are not the nicest way to travel and could be booked, flying options are not good, etc. Our preferred way to get between these places would be with a rental car, but these days, getting an international one-way drop is either not possible or very expensive. Just a quick look at rental car options brings up prices in excess of $600 (because of the one-way fees). By the way, we have done this drive as part of an extended driving trip (drove all the way to Nice), and it is not difficult. In your situation we would book a rental car (well in advance) that we could cancel (without penalty). Hank

Good point. But I wonder how many of those new builds are locked-in by contractual obligations.

We had looked forward to trying the Marina in Dec 2021, but "O" completely changed the itinerary (and ports) at the last minute (within a few weeks of the sailing) prompting us to cancel. We have been cruising a lot of Seabourn and, even on that line, have met many past Celebrity/HAL customers who decided to move up to a luxury line. Most told us they would never go back and were surprised that DW and I would still cruise on a mass market line (although it is happening less and less). I will admit that having experienced unlimited caviar and French Champagne on Seabourn, it will take a major attitude adjustment to handle our upcoming HAL cruise. Hank

Those of us who have been cruising for a long time (we go back to the mid 70s) can recall an era where last minute deals where pretty normal and the bargains were amazing. The mass market lines soon realized that they had created a monster (with last minute fire sales) and started to look for alternatives which is when we saw things like bidding programs, making more last minute cabins available to special groups (such as the Interline program which is available to airline employees and other travel professionals). LLP has been in the industry long enough to not get caught up in the Fire Sale games, which would ultimately destroy her program of increasing prices while reducing costs/quality. I do find it interesting that at least one luxury line (the new Explora Journeys) has made it clear they are not going to fall into the price-game trap. The CEO has made it clear that they will sail with empty suites rather than have last minute price drops. In fact, that new line recently increased their prices, across the board, by nearly 20%. That particular company has the deep pockets (MSC family) to stick to their word. As to Celebrity, well like all the US-based cruise lines they are now hobbled with huge debt obligations. If these cruise companies are to survive (without being forced into bankruptcy) they must generate enough capital to meet their big debt obligations while also maintaining enough quality to keep attracting customers. I think it is akin to walking a tightrope and suspect that all will survive. Hank

Just one caution about Oceania. While we would happily cruise on O we would not be so fast to book one of their older "R" ships which have relatively small cabins and truly tiny cabin bathrooms. The line seems to have two completely different standards that being their newer vessels (Marina, Riviera, and Vista) vs the 4 "R" ships. We actually cruised on those R ships when they were new and with Renaissance Cruise lines (hence the "R" ships) and they were fine for small ship cruising on a regular cruise line. No matter how much Oceania spends on upkeep and rennovations they cannot reasonably change the normal cabin sizes and truly small bathrooms. We recently looked at a terrific Oceania Itinerary (from Asia to South Africa) but decided we did not want to be stuck on a normal cabin on an R ship for many weeks. The price of upgrading to one of the much larger suites put the cruise out of our price range. Hank

Partially false! We cruise for the entire "package" of which food is an important part. Hank

Some folks have yet to accept that if you want a luxury cruise (including 24 hour free room service) you will need to book a luxury cruise line. On X, one can get something close, but by the time you pay for the "Retreat" Suite, any imposed add-ons, tips, etc. you will have spent more money than it would have cost if you booked Seabourn, Silverseas, etc. And in its best day, X is not a luxury line but simply a mass market line with some luxury touches for those willing to pay a lot more than the average cruiser. Hank

Did not see you as a buffet person :). More of a MDR type

Am shocked to see you asking this question since we have followed your posts for years :). I think that all past reviews/opinions are now defunct as just about every cruise line has changed and cut-back on their Lidos. At one time I would have quickly said "Celebrity" but that was before Lisa Lutoff-Perlo took over the line and started her "death by a thousand cut-backs" (the quotes are mine). In terms of quality items, we have been very pleased with Seabourn where they have their Collonade with a relatively small (but very high quality) buffet coupled with some table service. Since we resumed cruising (after the COVID shutdown) we have only been on Princess and MSC (Yacht Club) and not particular wowed by any of the buffets. We have two upcoming cruises on two other lines (HAL and Explora Journeys) so perhaps we will finally find a decent buffet. By the way, if it is about cookies you can cruise on Princess and simply go to their International Cafe (open 24/7) where they always have decent cookies (including oatmeal). As to ice cream. they do have gelato (made onboard) although there is a charge. MSC also has several gelato venues with decent stuff (for a fee). Hank

Private tours/guides in France are generally expensive. Another issue you face is that Cannes is somewhat distant (at least 2 hours each way) from the best parts of Provence where you find the lavender fields and even further from the more northern areas. Also be advised that Cannes is a tender port so, depending on your ship, it can take some time to get ashore. If you do not find any tour, have you considered just renting a car in Cannes and driving? Hank

Perhaps I should have titled this topic, "will cruise lines continue to compete." Just reading many of the CC threads on individual cruise lines, there are numerous posts on cruise line cut-backs, price increases, new "nag charges" like for room service, add-ons for food items that used to be included. etc For many cruisers, an alternative has been All-Inclusive resorts. I was just reading about more than a dozen new AIs opening (many in the CAribbean) in 2023! We have been avid ocean cruisers for over 50 years, but we also do a lot of independent travel and have vacationed at several AIs. Some AIs are quite amazing and have pretty decent cuisine. My own hunch is that mass market lines will lose some customers to the AIs as passengers become fed-up with cutbacks, nickel and diming, etc. What do you think? Hank

One should always shop around for the best overall deals and compare reputable cruise/travel agency offers with what is offered if booking direct with the cruise line. But to give you a perfect example, we recently booked an 18 day cruise on a luxury cruise line. By booking through one of our favored cruise agencies we were able to get $2200 of On Board Credit that would not have happened if we had booked directly with the cruise line.

Booking is the easy part as you just book like any other cruise. Some lines will let you book back to backs as a single longer cruise and than you need to evaluate the cost issues as to whether it makes more sense as a single booking or back to back bookings. Another issue is your cabin. If you book the same cabin throughout, this is the easy way. But there are times when folks will book different cabins on back to backs and than you will need to spend a little time moving between the cabins (the cabin stewards will do much of the work), Hank

The author of this piece is quite impressive. Look at her own web site and the lead story is "14 Halloween Nail Polishes that are Scary Beautiful." And then there is "15 Neutral Nail Polishes to Wear at the Office this Fall." or how about "How to Spot a Pair of Sandals that Won't Give you Blisters." All important topics that certainly makes one the perfect writer to cover HAL food :). The article reads like a HAL Press Release. So, apparently this writer got comped to a 7-day Alaskan cruise and came away as the expert on HAL cuisine. Amazing.

Very interesting question. I will admit to not caring since we enjoy being on a very international ship. I have no doubt that most of the crew, who regularly deal with the passengers, will have varied language skills. We have always enjoyed the Yacht Club because we would meet folks from all over the world and crew with a lot of different backgrounds. I do suspect that Explora will have a very strong base of European passengers, because that is where MSC has their major base. While Americans might be cautious about booking a new cruise line, the Europeans familiar with the MSC organization will not hesitate. Hank

Oct 10, 2023, HALs Zuiderdam embarks at Ft Lauderdale and returns to Ft Lauderdale......73 days later 🙂 Sometimes you have to think out of the box. How about Sept 21 embarkation from Port Canaveral to Barcelona (13 days). Then make your way north to Amsterdam and take the Oct 7 Rotterdam cruise back to Ft Lauderdale. or...head over to England (you can use the train via the Chunnel) and catch the Oct 9 Regal Princess cruise back to Ft Lauderdale. So many choices and we have only looked at a few weeks in the Fall of this year. DW and I used to do this kind of thing once a year (just for fun since we have no problem flying). Hank

It is a different world in some northern European countries where cash is hardly used....at all. You would be among the rare folks if you even paid for a coffee with cash. They use cards for everything and it is all about just tapping or just being in the vicinity as you seldom see anyone actually show a card. I suspect that in the next 5 years, phone usage will almost make cards obsolete.

We also enjoy a slow walk along the Arno River. There is a decent walkway on the south bank (heading east). We also will give a strong recommendation to try some gelato. And then have some more gelato :). For us, we have found the best gelato at unknown places while the famous place, Vivoli, we thought somewhat of a rip-off, often with a long line, and not as good as other gelato we had around town. You can find various web sites that list and rate the better gelato places. Hank

As a very independent and experienced traveler I would just offer some basic advice. We find it wise to have enough cash (Euros) to cover any restaurant/cafe tab. There is always the chance that a credit card can be denied or the system down, and than having cash avoids any kind of delay. I still recall one evening in Bruges, when the entire CC system went down. We had just finished a pretty expensive dinner and did not have enough Euros. I had to run out and walk a few blocks to find a working ATM to get enough Euros (there were others following me...which was the blind leading the blind). Hank

Your information is certainly incorrect for some cruise lines so do not paint with a broad brush. In fact, some cruise lines now charge a processing fee for those who want to disembark early (enroute deviation). I do know that the last time we did a one-day early debarkation (it was on a Princess Cruise in Le Havre) we had to submit a request (in writing and well before the cruise) which generated a written approval (sent via e-mail). Once aboard we showed that to Guest Relations who further processed that info and even gave us luggage tags. We left our luggage outside our cabin (the night before reaching Le Havre) and our luggage was later retrieved from a small pile in the terminal building. It actually can be a big issue "for them" since the ship is usually responsible to report such information to the local authorities. The procedures can also vary from country to country and port to port. There are also plenty of times when a request would be denied such as on any Closed Loop Cruise under the WHTI). And I specifically recall one messy situation when friends did an early disembarkation at a Russian port. Hank

Depending on your docking position it can be a very long walk (with your luggage) to get from the ship to the street. Once you reach the end of the pier you will pass through an area where you are viewed by Mexican authorities. Whether they care, or not, is unknown to me. But we do know Mexico (we live here 10 weeks a year) and what happens will most likely be hit/miss. Just make sure not to bring anything into the country that is prohibited. Avoid anything that could be construed as a weapon (i.e. knives) or food items that are not sealed in their original form. If bringing any drugs, that can be an issue and keep in mind that anything containing Pseudofed is illegal here. What I am not sure about is the Mexican Customs form. When we fly-in to Puerto Vallarta we must still complete the standard Customs Declaration form. It is a very simply document that can be completed in less than a minute. You would not normally get that form on your cruise (cruisers do not normally do any kind of Customs Form) and I have no clue if you would be stopped by the authorities and asked to complete the document. The final issue is whether the security folks on your ship, will question or stop you from taking those pieces of luggage ashore. For that, you will need to ask on the ship. Hank

The cruise lines set the penalty dates and most cruise/travel agents will add a few extra days to make sure they have enough time to get a payment/cancellation done on time. The industry is changing (even if some cruisers refuse to change). Many lines are moving away from allowing folks to secure reservations with a small deposit with no additional payment due until the normal final dates. Lines like Viking Ocean and the new Explora Journeys encourage full payment, far in advance. MSC, who does allow bookings with small deposits, recently decided to make deposits for their popular Yacht Club...non-refundable. They did that because folks would put down the small refundable deposits and usually cancel near final payment. Since the Yacht Club only has a limited number of cabins, they decided to impose a different set of rules to discourage false bookings and cancellations. So here is an unpopular opinion. I like the early mandated payments and/or substantial discounts tied to early payments. Why? For far too long, some cruisers will simply book lots of different cruises with the relatively small refundable deposits and then cancel the cruises they do not want when near the final payment period. This deprives others of the ability to book the same cruise and also pulls a lot of the best cabins out of inventory. On HAL we once met a very nice lady who was proud that she had booked 3 different HAL cruises (all cruising at the same time) because she said, "I can make up my mind later." We were recently looking at some Oceania cruises, and several were completely booked nearly 2 years in advance. We found that discouraging until some regular "O" cruisers told us not to worry because many of those bookings would eventually disappear as folks cancelled. That particular line even has a deposit program for folks who want to be on a "waiting list" for popular cruises. Now that is crazy. Hank "

Ahhh, HAL has long found ways to "disappear" horns. Prior to the HAL Cats, HAL used to have a ship's band which was usually 7 pieces including 2 horns. When they moved to the HAL Cats, all the horns were gone! Bottom line for HAL is why have 7 pieces when you can have 4 (with 2 keyboards)? On the other hand, when we go on the Westy, if the band is doing stuff like "Light my Fire" I will be a happy guy. Hank

I have no clue :). When we visited that island we were on a Yacht Cruise (20 passenger) and docked at a Marina. Our cruise director (who was the son of the owner of the company) arranged for a private boat to take all 20 of us around the island. I mention this because there is a back story. The boat driver was an elderly man (looked about 100) who acted weird and did not speak a word of English (or so we thought). When we later returned to the Marina it turned out that the old guy owned a greek restaurant in Brooklyn and was just visiting his grandchildren for the summer. One never knows what you will find on these islands :). Hank