Hlitner

That sounds like an upgrade :). And that kazu will be rented for $9.95 +18% per day.

Interesting topic in light of recent cut-backs and price increases on both lines. At this time, even thought we are Elite Plus on X and 5* on HAL, we cannot recommend either line! We do have an upcoming 42 day HAL voyage which will likely answer some questions and determine if we want anything to do with HAL in the near future. For now, we find ourselves leaning towards small ship luxury lines (for the best overall value) and MSC's Yacht Club for the Caribbean. As avid cruisers (often over 100 days a year) we think that so much is changing (in terms of quality and pricing) that wise folks should do a lot of homework reading recent reviews and shopping around among many different lines. Things are not always what they seem. So, for example, booking Seabourn at $500 or $600 a passenger day might seem like a lot of money until you consider that everyone gets a suite, it is all-inclusive (including things like caviar), and the space ratios are far better than on mass market lines (meaning few to no lines). I do think all things cruise will become much clearer in the next 6 months as lines get a better feel for bookings (yield management) and costs. One interesting facet is that the CCL, RCI and NCL Holdings, have all been forced to increase their debt (over $30 Billion for CCL). All that debt must be repaid with increasing interest rates and this can only happen with more bookings and more revenue per person/day. MSC (also owner of the new Explora Journeys line), on the other hand, is still a closely held family company with very deep pockets and very reasonable debt, Since MSC is now the largest container ship company in the world, and this part of their business has been booming, they are in the unique position of being able to easily finance their own operations. That is why MSC continues to add at least one new mega ship per year and are in the process of starting a new luxury line (slated to have six, 900 passenger ships within 5 years). Hank

I think the best answer is that its a crap shoot. The ultimate policy is set by each cruise line, but enforcement is not uniform. We have walked on ships (of many different lines) in Europe while carrying bottles/boxes of wine, Diet Soda, etc. and never had an issue. In fact, in some ports you can actually buy stuff right in the cruise terminals. But this is no guarantee that any particular ship (or the security folks at the entrance) will not confiscate stuff or insist you pay "corkage" fees for wine. Hank

We have posted elsewhere that folks who tend to book the higher priced cabins/suites, might want to explore booking with some of the luxury lines. Why? In terms of value they can often be a much better deal not to mention luxury cruising on smaller ships means no queues and higher quality everything. It seems like all the mass market lines (ie. Celebrity, HAL, RCI, etc) have all been doing cut-backs, increased price add-ons, increased booking prices, etc. Bottom line is that with the mass market lines folks are paying more for less! This is not surprising with the huge extra debt (taken on during COVID), higher food costs, higher fuel prices, etc). But with the luxury lines we still see some terrific pricing. And MSC's Yacht Club still offers a great value (under $500 per person/day) for a luxury experience on a mass market ship. Hank

The OP asks about Barbados, and some may not be aware that quite a few cruises actually embark from Barbados which means flying-in to the island and clearing Customs. Ports along the way are generally not an issue. But if you are flying-in to a country such as Barbados orJapan (very strict drug rules), etc. it is incumbent upon the traveler to check with the authorities in that country, far in advance of their journey. I will also mention that ADHD drugs are often on restricted lists (as is anything containing a narcotic) so folks need do their pre-trip homework. Hank

We have taken the train between Le Havre and Paris on a few occasions, but never to CDG. I do not believe there is a direct train to CDG, so if that is the case the hassle means changing trains in Paris (the RER goes out to CDG) or grabbing a taxi. The other hassle is that you need to get from the port to the Le Havre Train station or to wherever you would get the bus (not sure of the location). There can be some resistance from the taxi drivers (at the port) for the short haul routes so you need to allow some extra time to persuade a driver. We have always been able to get a taxi to the station and sometimes a driver will simply try to find a few couples and charge by the person. Hank

The quick answer to the OP's question is that it depends on the policy. Many policies would cover nothing since there is no financial loss. Some cruise lines still have various types of COVID guarantees although many of those provisions are expiring. An example would be the current guarantee on HAL which would provide future cruise credits for each day in quarantine. Consider that there are many diseases (not just COVID) that can result in one being quarantined in a cabin. Influenza could actually result in a longer quarantine than COVID. Norovirus would also get you quarantined, sometimes for several days. Hank

A bit late in coming :). We were on the Seashore (Yacht Club) in October and I spoke to the onboard future cruise lady about booking Explora. She was very clear that they were being operated as two different lines and she could not even handle a booking. I told her I thought that MSC was making a huge mistake by not actively marketing to their Yacht Club passengers and she agreed. We have been looking at an October cruise on the Explora and there are a lot of available cabins. If they had marketed on all the MSC cruises I suspect it would be a different story. Hank

We really do want to see HAL concentrate on long itineraries. It is still the one thing (itinerary) that attracts us to HAL. This morning, while sitting on our balcony in Puerto Vallarta, we watched the Oceania Insignia cruise into our port. That ship is one its world cruise (over 180 days long) which we had heard was completely sold-out. That is one of the old "R" ships (about 30,000 tons and 700 passengers) which is the type of ship that once attracted us to HAL. We almost cried when HAL ditched its one small ship (Prinsendam). Hank

I continue to think that HAL needs to actually expand their live music offerings in order to better attract younger (on HAL that would be under 80) cruisers. But their approach of simply hiring musicians, tossing them together, and expecting them to somehow pump out quality music is not generally going to bear fruit. They need to move back to properly audition and hire real bands/groups that have experience working together. Consider that folks do not go to concerts to hear "pick up" bands, they go to hear established groups. Most resorts and other land based venues audition and hire real bands, not just a group of musicians who do not even know each other's names much less how to work with each other. When HAL first started their BB King concept I thought, "what a fantastic idea" not to mention I really enjoy BB King music. But when I heard a couple of the BB King groups, they hardly played any BB King music. I had a long conversation with the leader of one of the BB King groups and he told me their group had been thrown together (shortly before coming on the ship) and managed to develop a small repertoire (of under 100 works) which hardly included any BB King music. There are plenty of excellent bands/groups always looking for work and other cruise lines (such as MSC) hire real bands...not just individual musicians. When we have cruised on Celebrity, there will be groups that have worked together for years...and it shows. On Princess, we had an amazing 4 piece jazz group (from Brazil) who had been together for over 15 years! They were amazing and had an amazing knowledge of the works of Antonio Jobeam (think,,,"Girl from Ipanema"). On Celebrity we had a rock oriented duo from Serbia that had such an expansive repertoire I did not hear them repeat a single number over a 2 week cruise. Go on HAL and the groups will often play the same music night after night because "pick up" groups do not have the time or experience (together) to develop as a true band. I think the entertainment problems of HAL start and end in Seattle where somebody needs to get a large broom and sweep away the "suits" who are responsible for hiring entertainers. Just consider that on Seabourn, where they still have real shows, somebody had the smarts to hire Belinda King Creative Productions (a decent England based entertainment company) to staff, hire, audition, skilled entertainers who actually know how to perform. That company also develops shows (some in conjunction with Sir Tim Rice) for Seabourn and even develops some shows/entertainers for Princess. But it seems like HAL gets the short end of the stick when it comes to entertainers. Hank

You might consider that CCL stock is trading at less than 20% of its price from before COVID. The company also has debt obligations of around $30 Billion which is more than 3 times the debt they carried pre-covid. Their debt-equity ratio is currently over 4.5 when historically it was under 0.5! Many investors consider a debt-equity ratio of 2 or more to be a very bad situation. The markets reacted favorably to announced price increases, but whether the various cruise lines can maintain sales at significantly higher prices is a big question. As you say, there is no telling what the stock market will do. But these financial numbers are not good, and with interest rates on the rise this company has really dug itself into a deep hole. ill Looking at future new builds (through 2027) I see nothing on the horizon for HAL. CCL has some new ships on order, but they are for other cruise lines (Princess, Seabourn and Carnival). Hank

We would consider it if we ever cruise on a Pinnacle Class ship. Makes little sense for us on the Vista Class since we already get most of the benefits because of our status. Without a separate MDR (with an upgraded menu) we do not see the value. The breakfast benefit has no value to us because we rarely go to a sit down breakfast. Hank

Do you know of other cruise lines that charge for cabin fridge's?

We assume you are aware that you cannot access Flightease flights/fares until 330 days before your cruise disembarkation date. That is similar to the system used by most airlines. Hank

Funny thing is we cruise on many different lines and only HAL charges "rent" for a cabin fridge. All our other cruise lines simply have them in every cabin. Wondering if HAL will soon start charging rent for toilets, sinks, pillows, etc. Perhaps they will also impose add-on charges for items in the MDR and Pinnacle! Oops. Guess that is already happening. Wonder when they will impose a fee to use tenders, or perhaps one can buy tender priority! Oops. Guess they already charge for tender priority (Club Orange). Will there soon be a fee for cabin electricity, water, etc? Tis a slippery slope

Yes, there is an ongoing promotion (ends later in January). Diamond MSC folks can book the lowest category cabin and get a 2 category upgrade plus $500 OBC. I believe you need to mention this to your travel/cruise agent and also provide your Diamond #. Hank

We are in our mid 70s but are not prepared to act like the nursing home crowd...at least not yet. I do agree that less noise is a good thing, but DW and I still enjoy decent entertainment and are able to stay up until late and still get up in the morning :). As to "less adventure" not sure we are doing para sailing, jumping out of planes, etc. But we are still avid independent travelers and look forward to running around Japan (on our own) for a couple of weeks before joining the Westy. Hank

And therein lies the issue with HAL. Many passengers are early to bed and early to rise. Consider that on Seabourn (part of the HAL group) the MDR does not even open for dinner until 7pm (7-9) and there is usually one main show (I think its usually at 9:30). I mentioned that when we have cruised on Celebrity, they will sometimes have an adult comedy show which is generally at 11:30 and it is often SRO. I imagine if HAL opened the MDR for dinner at 3:30 and had a show at 5 it would suit at least half the passengers who would be happy to head back to their cabins by 6:30. In fact, just tell the Floridians that there is an "Early Bird" dinner at 3:30 and lobster tails are 50% off and they would fill the MDR 🙂 Hank

We have used GeoBlue (we purchase their annual policy) for many years. Unfortunately, we have had to file two major claims (over several years) and GeoBlue quickly paid our claims (within 3 weeks). Hank

Perhaps that is the case in the Peoples Republic of California, but it is not true anywhere else :). Anyone can offer insurance advice, but one should carefully consider the source of that advice and always read policies (including definitions). One also needs to be careful with brokers/agents since many have an ulterior motive which is to only sell the products that they offer, even when there are better options. There are good brokers and lousy brokers, and one should conduct their due diligence when choosing brokers/agents. Hank

Lets cut to the chase about tendering. With large mass market vessels, tendering is a real hassle (especially for those not on the overpriced overcrowded cruise line excursions). Each line gives priority to certain groups (such as frequent cruisers and those in large suites). On most ships you will need to go to some public lounge, get a tender ticket, and then wait (sometimes for hours) until your tender is called. Coming back it will be a free for all (first come first serve). If you are cruising on small ship luxury lines there will generally be little or no tender lines or waiting. In fact, on luxury lines (i.e. Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, etc) there are seldom any lines....period! Folks that want to cruise on the huge mass market mega ships should understand that tender ports on large ships can be a problem. Our best tender experience has been on Seabourn. On that line we simply took the elevator down to the tender area and walked on the tender. No wait, no tickets, no hassles. On the larger mass market ships, even when we have priority, the process usually involves waiting, lines etc. There are some tender ports, around the world, that have large land-based tenders and this is very helpful since these vessels can hold large numbers of folks and usually are designed for fast boarding. Cruise ship tenders (which double as life boats) are somewhat smaller and can involve more difficulty in moving folks on and off. Tender lines only move as fast as the slowest person! Hank

Change is often fine. But when change means constantly downgrading the product it is not fine. Hank

I cannot speak to Air Canada, but some decent international air fares can often be found by booking through the cruise lines (especially HAL, Seabourn and Princess who all use the same system). I do agree with ABoatNerd, that many (but not all) cruise lines have significantly downgraded their product and used COVID as an excuse. But we have found (through trial and error) that MSC's Yacht Club has managed to maintain their quality and our cruises on Seabourn have all been close to pre-cruise quality although there have been some bumps along that road. As to the cost of Disney, that line has always been somewhat expensive but current pricing can be nutz. But Disney is not the only cruise line and there are other lines that offer some pretty good deals. When folks are willing to pay the high prices, the pricing will continue at those levels (or higher). One reason (out of several) that we stopped cruising with Celebrity (even before COVID) was that we no longer thought their product offered a reasonable value when compared to some other lines (including some luxury lines). We all get to vote with our money. On the other hand, inflation is causing lots of problems for everyone and the cruise lines. Hank

I look at the picture of the near empty Lincoln Center stage and it simply reiterates that HAL is out of touch! When we cruised on the MSC Seashore (October 2022) the main theater was packed for nearly every show (a different Production show every night). The large lounge that had the versatile rock bank/singer was also near full every night. In the Yacht Club our lounge had a decent crowd for the nightly entertainers (that worked from about 6:30 to 11:30). Elsewhere on the ship there was other live music entertainment with pretty decent crowds in each venue. On HAL, many folks have dinner and head back to their cabin to watch a move on TV. We have been on many longer HAL Voyages (5* Mariners) and generally are very lonely in a piano bar or other venue by 11pm. When we did the Voyage of the Vikings cruise, the BB King group (which played in the Crows Nest) drew very few passengers (I would estimate at less than 30) for their later set. The lounge often had more employees (from the shops and a few other venues) than passengers! Probably 90% (or more) of the passengers were not to be seen by 10pm! While we are used to this on HAL, it does not happen on Princess, RCI, Celebrity, MSC, or even Seabourn! I have often wondered whether the lack of nightlife on HAL is due to passenger demographics or perhaps the quality and variety of HAL entertainment drives many to bed at early hours. When we have cruised on some lines there will be a late night adult comedy show (sometimes at 11 or 11:30) and it might be completely full. On HAL there is no such thing....it does not exist! The HAL fans that will tell you that HAL has plenty of good entertainment have likely not cruised on many other lines. Even the small ships (450 passengers) of Seabourn will have a live band playing until at least 11:30 for those that want to listen to music or dance to a live band. On one of our HAL cruises, where they had a decent BB King group, there was actually a crowd of 50 or so passengers who attended the last set (which ended a little after 11). But that meant that nearly 2000 others were in their cabins! Tis a swinging crowd :). Hank

Yes and no. The last time we cruised the Greek Islands was on Seabourn in August 2021. That was a 2 week cruise among quite a few islands. When we debarked the ship (in Pireaus) we took a taxi about 1/2 mile to a ferry pier on the other side of the harbor and began another 10 days traveling between multiple islands via ferry. We have often posted ideas, here, about how to combine a cruise with a pre/post land trip. It all relates to extending a cruise vacation which we have long suggested for fellow cruisers. Our philosophy is to maximize one's opportunity in Europe (or Asia) to see and do more than a cruise. Since folks are already paying for their airfare it just makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity (assuming one can spare the time and money). Hank