Hlitner

Really? I assume you are aware it is more than a 2 hour drive (each way).

Even HAL does not have any ship small enough (less than 1200 passengers) now that they got rid of the old Prinsendam (always our favorite HAL vessel). They should be able to go to some of the other Society Islands, such as Tahiti, but would not be allowed at Bora Bora under the new restrictions. And Princess's smallest ship is 2000 passengers. As to the Society Islands (i,.e. French Polynesia), having been there a few times our favorite islands have been Bora Bora and Moorea. The best thing about the island of Tahiti is its name :). This trend towards banning larger cruise ships from ports, all over the world, should be cause for concern to those who love larger ships. Not only are they gradually being pushed out of many of the best ports, but the ports that still accept mega ships are simply becoming overrun with cruisers. On one of our last visits to St Maarten we were somewhat horrified to see 5 ships docked in Phillipsburg (over 15,000 passengers). Consider that the entire population of Phillipsburg is about 2000 souls! Overtourism has become the new dirty word in our vocabulary. And the first to get banned will generally be cruise ships because they contribute much less to the local economy than do folks who stay at hotels, eat at restaurants, rent cars, etc. Hank

The Society Islands (which includes Bora Bora) has imposed some very strict restrictions on cruise ships. My understanding is that Bora Bora will only allow 1200 cruise ship passengers on any given day. So the OP might want to start their research by looking at smaller ships (these are generally luxury lines). Lines like Seabourn, Oceania, Regent, and Windstar all have cruises that call at the Society Islands and would meet the 1200 passenger limitation. Hank

If you do decide to take a day off of sightseeing and want a beach day, both Barcelona and Palma offer some decent options. Hank

As you may have guessed, the weather is simply not predictable. We have done dozens of crossings (both directions) and had everything from glassy seas to 5 straight days of 20 foot + seas. One issue with October is that it is still in hurricane season. While ships will generally steer a course that keeps them far from a major storm, long swells (which can really rock the largest ships) can radiate out thousands of miles from a major storm. That time of the year, the temps should be on the warm side. You should be able to sit on deck (even in shorts) on many days Hank

Best pastrami sandwich on earth! But it now costs $25.95 for a single sandwich, and if you get it at the counter (a good idea) the carver expects a small tip. Add the NYC city and State taxes and it is about $30 for a sandwich. Ouch. Hank

My post was somewhat tongue in cheek :). Since we have Grandchildren in NYC, we still do drive into the city a few times a year. There are times when I might be crazy enough to say, "lets drive out to Queens and go to lunch at White Castle :). On the other hand, I can walk from DDs Coop to Katz's. If it comes down to pastrami or White Castle...hmmm. Hank

The issue with booking excursions on back to backs (unable to book the 2nd cruise during the first cruise) is also the situation on Princess. Perhaps that is not surprising since Princess is part of the HAL Group. Hank

It is hit/miss depending what bands and musicians happen to be on your cruise. The various artists come and go so you can never be too sure. On our recent (October) Seaside cruise most of the dancing we saw happened in one particular lounge where rock group held court. We did not hear anything we would categorize as EDM although it might have happened after we went to bed. Hank

Splurge for the Yacht Club and you will never look back.

Hmm. For me that would mean about $80 in gas, over $20 in tolls (which does not count the new fee under consideration to drive in NYC), and probably at least another $20 in short term parking fees. And all that just to get to a White Castle! That sure becomes an expensive burger :). They used to sell frozen White Castle Burgers at the supermarket, but they were not nearly as good as the real thing! Hank

Princess will likely have a shuttle bus although you may need to purchase a ticket. Keep in mind that there are two bus stations (more like parking areas) at opposite sides of town and the bus routes vary depending on the station. So, if you are planning at taking a local bus to a specific beach, do your pre-trip homework and know which bus station will have the right bus. Hank

We have posted about this relatively recent anti-cruise ship attitude that seems to be sweeping parts of the world, including in our own USA. I think part of the problem lies in the size of many new ships, some of which carry over 7000 souls (counting the crew). In Norway you also have the fall-out from the Viking Sky near-disaster which woke many folks to the environmental risks associated with ships. The reality is that cruise ship passengers contribute relatively little to the local economy while stressing the infrastructure. Many cruisers tend to stick with structured "excursions" which are generally losers for most of the locals. I imagine we will eventually see more and more mega ships going to fewer ports. Small luxury line ships will still be welcomed at many places, but that is a niche market that leaves out a majority of cruisers that either cannot afford the cost, or who are not accepting of small ship cruising. Hank

Hola JB (in Mexico now), Great info and it sounds like the water bus is a fantastic option. Certainly better than trying to walk along the road. Hank

Cruisemom certainly speaks from the point of view of truth from experience :). She brings out an issue that is too often ignored by cruisers. On a cruise port day you will only get time for a short "snapshot" of a region, city, etc. This holds true for the Amalfi Coast. It is a part of Italy worthy of a few nights (we like to stay in Praiano) preferably with a rental car although you do not want a car to drive into Positano (parking is a nightmare). But the car lets you explore much of the region. Decades ago, after a few cruises in Europe, DW and I realized that we needed to spend some significant land time (generally with a car) to even begin to appreciate Europe. Just within Italy we have driven over 10,000 miles and there are still parts of the country we have yet to explore. I only post this to prepare cruisers for the reality that you must pick and choose (on port days). Unfortunately, most structured tours (excursions or private tours) are about seeing the most in the shortest time. The alternative is to focus on one or two places during a port day. A huge problem with the Amalfi Coast is that there is only a single two-lane road that gives access to some of the best parts. This road (The Amalfi Drive) has a lot of traffic during the main tourist season, often has "stand offs" between giant buses (which stops traffic for several minutes while drivers work out their escape) and is unpredictable when taking a tour. Schedules can quickly run afoul of the traffic which shortens the quality time at various stops. On the plus side, cruise vacations in this part of the Med can be truly fantastic and leave most folks wanting to return. Hank

As Sailing Canary says, Spain is a country whion ere most locals do not have their dinner until after 9pm. In fact, it is not unusual to see folks going out to dinner at well past 10. In Barcelona, most restaurants do accommodate tourists by being open at more normal times. But many Spainards, who are going out for the evening, will go to a cafe/bar early in the evening to enjoy some libations and tapas. That holds them over until they later go out to dinner. Hank

I should have also mentioned that it is a substantial walk, from the entrance, up to the actual Acropolis. The walkway is wide, has quite a few benches along the route, and is the only way to get up to the ruins except for the rare few handicapped folks who have arranged to use the single elevator (built for a Pope's visit). The walk is not a big deal for folks who are mobile, but it is uphill :). Just pray that it is not a very hot day and that the air is not too polluted (Athens has a major air quality problem in certain weather conditions). Hank

Mykonos does have a small port that can handle a limited number of cruise ships. Whether you dock or tender will depend on what other ships are in port and who gets the pier :). If your info from the cruise line says dock, one would assume they will dock. Getting into town is a hike along the road (some feel it is a bit risky to walk due to traffic) or a short ride on a bus. Others have pointed out that there are not many taxis on Mykonos, but the island does have a pretty decent bus system (with two small bus stations in Mykonos Town). Hank

That plaza is well down in the town so this sounds like the real thing 🙂

There is almost something akin to a "code" used when it comes to Positano. If a tour says something like "you will see Positano" that usually means you will SEE..but not actually set foot in town. If you are dealing with a private tour company doing group tours, you might want to specifically ask them (via e-mail) if they actually take you down into (it is downhill from the Amalfi Drive road) town. The most popular tourist neighborhood is located at the bottom of the cliffside town relatively close to the sea (and the small pier area). Since the famous town is built on the side of a hill/cliff, any substantial walking does involve slopes. Hank

We live in Puerto Vallarta and have yet to notice any noticeable changes. On another blog it has been reported that at least one popular restaurant has banned smoking at their outdoor tables which are located right on the sandy beach. At other places nothing has changed. As a non-smoker, I will be curious to see if there is any enforcement of the law where it prohibits smoking on public beaches (I believe all beaches in Mexico are technically public). The other part of the law that may have a major impact is the section that prohibits smoking at outdoor areas where food/drink are served (current rules already prohibit indoor smoking at bars/restaurants. In theory it could eventually become similar to parts of Europe where you see diners leaving restaurants, between courses, to run outside to a designated smoking area and have a smoke. Hank

We have never seen a luggage porter at Civitavecchia. In fact, they can be hard to find at most train stations. There used to be a couple of luggage storage places in town, but that was prior to the COVID shutdowns and restrictions. We do not know if there are still any options. Perhaps somebody who has more recently been in town can post an update. Hank

The test way to get there (from Livorno) is by private vehicle (rental car or private tour). The nearest Cinque Terre village is Riomaggiore and it iis about a 1 1/2 hour drive from the port. You can get to the other villages by train, ferry boats (if you find one), hiking (if you have a lot of time) or private vehicle. Regarding the hiking, the current train between Riomaggiore and Manarola (the so-called Lovers Walk) remains closed due to the rock slide from several years ago. It might be reopened in July 2024, but we would not hold our breath that this will happen). On a port day it is pretty common to only see 2 or 3 of the villages because of time limitations. Much of the charm of Cinque Terre has been left behind due to overcrowding by tourists. The last time we were in Riomaggiore it was difficult to move on the crowded street and the queues for the train was awful. Italy keeps talking about taking steps to limit the number of tourists, but it has yet to happen. Hank

I really think that many cruise lines purposely post incomplete tour descriptions. So lets talk about the Celebrity (and most other cruise line) tours. A bus tour of the Amalfi Coast will only let you "see" Positano from the road (which runs above the cliffside town) since tour buses are not permitted to enter Positano. If you are happy to see things from a bus window than that might be a decent tour. Most buses will stop along the Amalfi Drive so that folks can look down on the town of Positano. As to a cruise along the Amalfi Coast, you are in a boat that goes along the coastline. Compared to driving on the Amalfi Drive, the boat tour is somewhat underwhelming. Again, those boat tours do not generally stop at Positano but rather take you to Amalfi, which is OK, but in its best day is no Positano. The truth is that cruise line excursions give you a view of Positano from above (bus tour) and below (boat tour) without giving you the opportunity to set foot in the town, do some shopping, walk, etc. I do not know why most boat tours do not stop at Positano (the town does have a small pier) but if you could find a tour that did stop at the town and give you some time to walk and browse, that would be a good thing. To us, the ideal tour of the Amalfi Coast would include stops in both Positano and Ravello. Stopping in Amalfi is also nice, but if we were to rate the towns on the Amalfi Coast, #1 (by far) would be Positano #2 Ravello and a more distant #3 Amalfi. For this kind of tour you will need a small group private tour (by car or small van) since buses are not permitted to enter Positano. Cruise line excursions need not apply. This is not what many folks want to hear, but as they used to say on Dragnet, "just the facts." Hank

You might want to try booking online, via the app, and see if it accepts your reservations request.