Hlitner

I always smile when I read posts like "I deal directly with a cruise line because I can control everything." Really? Bottom line is that when you have a decent cruise/travel agent you simply send them an e-mail and they can deal with the hassles of getting through to the right folks. If it makes the OP feel any better, there are similar issues dealing with most cruise lines these days. The first big cut-back (during COVID) was customer relations. Cruise lines got rid of a lot of their phone folks and it shows. Hank

Keep in mind that there is no "Princess Dock" in Pireaus. There are two separate port areas (about a 10-15 min walk between the two areas) and each port has multiple piers. You can check the ports web site or perhaps with Princess to find out the assumed docking position (which could always be changed by the port), Depending on your actual pier it could be a hike to the HoHos or a relatively short walk. However, even the closest port facility does involve a walk to get out to the main road and to the bus stop. This is not a situation where you simply walk off the ship and the bus stop is next to the pier. Hank

I guess that is just one more reason to use a decent US cruise agency to handle the booking, the other benefit being a nice On Board Credit. We booked, through our favorite TA, using our usual Chase card and there were no fees.

All the amenities from both the Plus Package (which is what we booked) AND the Premiere Package are individually listed on our Princess account. It is a very nice perk. Consider that we booked a 14 day cruise and the normal cost of upgrading from Plus to Premiere is $20 per person/day so Princess has given us a $560 upgrade plus the usual $250 military OBC. I am also grateful for the perks that Princess gives vets. I do not know of any other cruise line that comes close. Hank

Last year, when we cruised on the Enchanted, DW and I thought the Elite Lounge offerings were hardly worth the effort to go to the lounge. Since we had a drink package and had no interest the very limited discounted drinks offered at the Elite Lounge, we never returned. Instead we went to our favorite bar and ordered potato chips (via the app) which were delivered to our seats by room service :). Why? We asked our favorite bar tender if they had any snacks (which used to be the norm) and were told "No." When DW complained that she missed her "chips" the bar tender laughed and said, just order the on the app :). Hank

We have had donuts on all of our Princess cruises (over 30). On the ships with an IC, there are always donuts in the morning (I think they are in the case until 11 or 11:30 when they are replaced with lunch items). Hank

We just did a new booking (Sky Princess) on 1/18. It was done, online, using my cruise agencies booking engine (which immediately flows to the Princess system). I booked the Princess Plus option and am a Veteran who has been registered with Princess for many years. I just checked our reservation (on the Princess site) and we were automatically given our $250 military OBC and our Princess Plus was upgraded to Princess Premiere. We did not make any special request. Once a Veteran has established their bona fides (generally with a DD214) with Princess it is tied to the Captain's Club number. On subsequent bookings the credit is given without any additional verification (in most cases). It seems like this new benefit (Plus to Premiere) now works in a similar manner. Hank

On our most recent Enchanted Princess cruise we did see a few folks turned-away on a dressy night. The guys were wearing wife-beaters, shorts, and baseball caps. Very classy indeed.

You can get it adjusted, once aboard, but it is a mild pain since you will need to visit the Guest Relations desk. We simply wait until we aboard to make reservations. Since we dine late (after 7:30) we seldom have a problem getting reservations. Hank

To us it is relatively simple math. Consider that the plus package covers tips ($17 a day), Internet and drinks. Our normal habits generally include at least 3 (usually 4 or 5) cocktails plus wine (at some lunches) and or a few beers. On sea days or port days when we often just stay on the ship there will be a morning Bloody Mary or Mimosa. The package is a no-brainer. We also get a fair amount of OBC, but a good portion is refundable (Princess usually sends us a check after the cruise) and we use the non-refundable for alternate dining and upgrading some of the drinks. Hank

An unpopular opinion with many is our love of variety, be it with cruise lines, ships, etc. The issue of "loyalty" is something about which we could care less. Why on earth would I want to cruise on one particular line, several times a year, have the same menus, many of the same shows, etc. Perhaps the reason that we still love to cruise, after more than 50 years of extensive cruising, is because we do seek out variety. The various privileges and amenities that come with loyalty status are relatively important in the scheme of things. And I say this having achieved the highest loyalty levels on multiple cruise lines (simply because we have done a lot of cruising over a half century). That "loyalty" stuff has absolutely no bearing on our decision when it comes to picking a cruise. Speaking of "loyalty" we also have no loyalty to a particular travel or cruise agent. We have made it clear, to our favorite cruise agent, that we are only "loyal" as long as her agency gives us the best overall deal and excellent customer service. We still shop around, among several different agencies, for the best deal. That has saved us 10s of thousands of dollars over the years. Hank

Explora is a wholly owned company of MSC's, but they have their own management team and customer support. When MSC originally announced that they were going to start a small ship luxury line, most of us assumed it would simply be an extension of their "Yacht Club" experience found on some MSC ships. But the Aponte family (who essentially owns MSC) decided to spin it off to its own brand. We do know that they have hired senior management from several different cruise lines and were surprised that they did not draw more heavily on the experienced folks at MSC. But they have gone outside for many key positions. For example, their General Manager comes from Azamara. The Senior Executive Chef comes from Oceania, and their Executive Pasty Chef comes fromt he very prestigious Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Their senior executive chef comes from Oceania and the Apollo Group (caterers for several cruise lines). The CEO was previously the COO for Carnival Asia and prior to that ran Aida cruises. My own take on all this is that the Aponte family wanted to draw the best from outside. Since we first cruised in the MSC Yacht Club (over 5 years ago) we thought that the weak point of the YC was their cuisine. Seeing that MSC went outside for the top folks of their culinary team was enough to convince DW and I to book one of their early cruises. It is not the first time DW and I gambled on a new cruise line. We did the same when Azamara was a new line (our experience with them was terrific) and also were fans of Renaissance which, unfortunately, went out of business. Hank

$360 Mexican Pesos is currently about $20 US 🙂

With MSC it can mean 5% off any cruise booking. There are also some onboard amenties (depending on the level you match) such as a free meal in an alternative restaurant. There is also a current promotion for the new luxury line, Explora Journeys, that will give any MSC Diamond member a $500 OBC plus 2 category upgrade. Hank

I do understand the angst of the OP since it is not only about money (always nice) but also a matter of principle. We cruise on many different lines and for some strange reason have had more "accounting" issues with HAL than any other line. The most common issues seem to be with OBC and also free or discounted meals at alternative restaurants. In our case, HAL has always made the necessary corrections, but I will admit to being annoyed that we must spend unnecessary time at Guest Relations (the last place we want to be when on a cruise) or having to bug our cruise agent to get the issue resolved. I do agree with some of the posts, that when one uses a cruise/travel agency it can be confusing as to what is provided by the cruise line vs what is provided by the cruise agency. The agencies we use do carefully differentiate on their invoices, but not all cruise/travel agencies make this clear. We do think that the OP's issue should be handled by the cruise agent/agency. They are paid a nice commission to handle their booking, and this is one way they earn that commission. Otherwise, the OP might want to seek out a better cruise agency for future bookings. Hank

If you have not been there before I would warn that they do not take reservations. Just be prepared for a wait, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. I also give a strong recommendation to their New England Clam Chowder which is just like we get up in New England. Hank

That's on the Ovation which is a ship we have cruised twice in the last 18 months (Greek Islands and a TA cruise). It is one of the larger vessels and carries about 600 passengers. When they built those larger ships they added a small Sushi restaurant which is a nice addition for sushi lovers. That is a terrific price for SB. We actually looked at that cruise plus the following Norway voyage which has an amazing 21 day itinerary. It is the best Norwegian itinerary we have ever seen, except for some Hurtigruten voyages. Hank

You absolutely can do any of those ports (or just about any other Western European port) on your own. As a long time very independent traveler I will share the secret of DIY which is simply doing your pre-trip homework. Know your wants and options which gives you the ability to change plans at any time depending on your mood, the weather, etc. There is a lot of information to be found right here on CC if you look at the various port blogs and do a search for your port. You are already on the right blog for port info and you can use the search option to pull up lots of past posts. There are also some of us who will usually answer specific questions and give you just about any level of detail you would need to carry out your own objectives. As always, DIY is about having a spirit of adventure Mass market cruise lines do not offer small group tours, and while some more luxury lines do have those options the cost can be shocking. If you do want a small group tour you can usually join with a few others to book a private tour. The CC Roll Call board for your cruise is where to go to look for some small group tours or post your own ideas. Hank

I would add that if you are totally gobsmacked by a lousy warm water lobster tail, just go to your local supermarket, buy some frozen cold water lobster tails (are superior to the tails you get on a ship) and prepare them via the broiler...not the big boiling pot. The lobster you make will be many times better and tastier than what you get on the ship. If you want to taste truly world class Maine Lobster (we are talking a whole lobster with the amazing claw meat), just go to Kelly's Landing (off 17th street in Ft Lauderdale) before your cruise and enjoy the real thing (their lobsters come right out of the tank). Hank

No question you are right. It is the same reason why some folks are happy as clams to book a Days Inn instead of a Four Seasons.

Eze would be awful for folks with limited mobility. There are a lot of slopes to the walkways and many of the shops are relatively small (and with steps) that would the use of wheelchairs/scooters difficult. As to medieval towns, St Paul de Vence would be our favorite (in this region) but would also present some major challenges to folks in wheelchairs and scooters. Combing Eze Village and St Paul de Vence, during a port day is possible, but not a very efficient use of time as it can take about an hour to drive between those two towns. Hank

Rouen is a very easy DIY trip since there are good rail connections between Le Harve and Rouen. The train ride is less than an hour and used to cost no more than 5 Euros. I agree that Rouen is a decent option from Le Havre...especially for folks that enjoy exploring a relatively large city.

Was not a problem. He is aware we are always traveling, and Paxlovid is most effective when used very early in the course of the disease. I also have enough medical background to not use that drug inappropriately. One sad issue with antivirals that must be used early to be effective and folks cannot always get access to a medical professional fast enough to take advantage of the drug. This is not just an issue with Paxlovid but also with other drugs like Tamiflu. Most drug insurance plans are simply based on an issued prescription as long as the drug is on their formulary.

We have no sympathy on this issue....None,,,,Nada! Why? You have a choice and that is the kind of thing that exists with airfares no matter how you book. Airfares often change multiple times a day and there are times when it really makes sense to book your own air and other times when you can save a lot with flightease. Over the years we have found flightease to offer amazing fares for International fares (especially Business and First Class) but their domestic coach fares and generally nothing special. The main reason I have no sympathy is that if the higher flightease price bothers you (obviously it does) than you can simply book direct with the airline at a lower price. No big deal as we do this all the time. Also keep in mind that if you wait, you may well find that both flightease and the airline prices increase! When it comes to booking direct with an airline you get what you get! Hank

When comparing HAL to Seabourn you need to make it Apples to Apples. A Signature Suite (HAL) would be comparable to a normal cabin/suite on SB except that on SB the bathroom would have both a full size tub, separate shower, and double sink. You would also need to price HAL as an all-inclusive product so would need to add a premium drink package (not the normal HAL drink package) and unlimited meals in the Pinnacle/Taramind. Seabourn has no add-ons for alternate dining and there are no add-ons for any dining item. At that point you would need to consider that SB ships have about twice the space ratio of a HAL ship so you do not have queues on SB. I have often posted that the big problem with SB, for many HAL cruisers, is that on SB the MDR does not even open for dinner until 7pm, a time when some HAL cruisers have already returned to their cabins for the night. And SB only has a single production show on most nights which is generally at 9:30. HAL is more suitable for the "dinner at 5, bed at 8:30 crowd." We have never cruised on Viking Ocean, although a close relative loves that line and would not even consider moving back down to a mass market line like Princess or HAL. Hank