Hlitner

We have had a long-time love/hate relationship with this Embassy Suite property. The location is perfect, for us, since it is within easy walking distance of Kelly's Landing (the best Maine lobster and chowder), close to Total Wines, etc. A few years ago, they did a major renovation to their lobby area. But we have also found that many of the rooms are somewhat "worn" or even shabby, furniture is often old and stained or chipped, etc. IMHO, the rooms are not up to the usual ES standards. If they are truly in the process of renovating their rooms, our thought is "it is about time!" As to the breakfast , one can have eggs made to order (such as omelets) and they come right off the grill to a plate to your hand. If one chooses to take the pre-made scrambled eggs, they get what they get! To us, it is the typical ES breakfast, but on weekends the venue is packed with cruisers and can take some patience to deal with the crowd. The evening cocktail time (2 free drinks per person) is also typical ES. There are no free shuttles for this ES, but they do offer paid shuttles. We avoid those shuttles because they are crowded, folks must wait around until the vans are loaded, and may find themselves going to 3 or 4 stops at the port before finally getting to their ship. We simply use Uber/Lyft, which is reasonably priced, and takes us from the hotel door to our ship. I will add that we have never found the ideal property, from a quality/value perspective, in a convenient location. The ES is better than many, not as good as many others, but apparently good enough for many as the place is usually full or near full. Hank

The prior post, mentioning Japan weird technology, does bring back a memory. On our first evening in Tokyo, we were exhausted (jet lag) and decided to just go into a restaurant near our Shinjuku hotel. We did not vett the place, but simply walked in with no reservation, research, etc. We sat at a table and noticed a tabletop QR code with no menus in sight. As expected, when we used our phone to read the QR code, we got a menu (in multiple languages including English). By this time we noticed there were no waiters taking orders and also realized that the Japanese diners were simply ordering with their phones. So, we did order our meal on my phone and a few minutes later, one of the staff delivered our order. Since this was not a fast food restaurant, we were a little surprised at the lack of waiters, but understood it was a smart idea to reduce labor costs/requirements. I mention this because Japan is a very high tech country (mostly phone-based). I have previously posted that just trying to use a toilet/WC in Japan can require an advanced degree :). Even public toilets will often have heated seats, and various controls. Push the wrong button and you might get a shower....so be careful :). DW actually took pictures of a few toilets that really tested her ability to deal with technology. I should mention a great example of just how safe it is in Japan. On one rainy day, we took the metro over to Ueno Park, where there are several decent museums. As we were walking into one museum (in pouring rain) we noticed quite a few hard-sided suitcases just sitting on the sidewalk...unattended. Their owners had simply left their suitcases so they could go inside and enjoy the museum. They had no fear that anyone would steal their cases, and also must have had a lot of faith that there were no leaks (it was raining hard). I remarked to DW that if one did that in Paris, the police bomb squad would have quickly been summoned and likely destroyed the case! Hank

Since you did not get a response we will help. The road that runs past the windmills is called Xenios, and nearly adjacent to the windmill area (on that road) is a rental place called Best1 Mykonos Rent-a-Car. They have a decent selection of scooters, ATVs, etc, along with a good reputation. Their web site is best1.gr, where you can find the info on making a reservation. Without a reservation you can just walk-up and hope for the best. You might want to ask them if they enforce needing a valid International Drivers Permit (available from AAA, AA, etc) which you would get before leaving for your trip. Hank

We have rented cars in Cherbourg on a couple of occasions. There are multiple agencies in town (Hertz, France rent a car, Avis, Europcar, etc) all within a mile walk of the pier. We simply shop for the best deal (online) and book before the cruise. Driving in France is not a problem, and this part of France is mostly rural. On our driving trips we have visited the various D-Day beaches, St Malo, Sainte Mere Eglise, etc. Having a working smartphone, to use for its map programs, makes life easy :). You might be able to find a car/driver online, and there are a few taxis you could hire, but that is going to cost you many hundreds of Euros (for the day). Hank

You do realize that anyone can purchase a "service dog" vest online?

You can certainly read the various reviews on a site like Tripadvisor. We have had to stay in Civitavecchia, numerous times over the past 40 years, because we had a rental car that needed to be returned prior to a cruise Having tried many different places, there is not any that we would recommend. Our attitude is "why settle for Civitavecchia" when we can stay in Rome, Fiumcino. Orvieto, etc. At times we have paid for an extra day's car rental just to avoid staying in Civitavecchia :). It is not that Civitavecchia is a bad place, it is just that there are so many better places. Hank

DW and I both tell folks that there is no such thing as language "barriers" but there are language "challenges." I know that sounds like PC talk, but it is true. When it comes to tourist-related things, in Japan, you will usually find English signs. Getting through subway/train stations is not too difficult as there are English signs, many restaurants have English menus (you might have to ask), etc. If you have a working smartphone (almost essential these days) you can use Google Translate (a free app) to translate Kanji. You simply use the camera (on your phone) option and it does a pretty good job translating. Most Japanese can read English (it has been taught in the schools since I lived there back in the 70s). Of course being able to read English does not always mean they will speak English. I actually forgot to print out the name of our hotel in Kanji, so I simply wrote it on a piece of paper (in block letters) and our taxi driver had no problem, You will also find that many Japanese (especially younger folks) do speak some English and they are very helpful. When DW and I would stop and look a little bewildered (like when trying to find our way through Shinjuku Station, somebody would usually walk right up to us and ask if we needed help. Speaking of phones, I have long preached that independent travelers MUST have a working smartphone, and this is really important in Japan. If you have T-Mobile, you phone will work (without having to pay additional fees). Some other carriers have coverage if you pay a fee (such as Verizon). Many tourists that go to Japan will also rent what is called a "pocket WiFi" which is a small device that connects to the Japanese cell providers and puts out a WiFi signal you can use with any of your devices. If you are interested, just Google something like "Japan pocket Wifi" and you will find all kinds of options. You can arrange to pick up one of these devices at the airport, and many come with a mailer so you simply drop them in a post office box before you leave the country. That being said, in our 6 weeks traveling around Japan (on land and sea) we simply used our phones (we have T-mobile) without needing pocket wifi. Another important aid in Japan is having a "Suica" card. There is a competitor, but we tend to like the Suica option (it is owned by the Japanese Railroad (JR)). The last time we were in Japan we simply bought Suica cards and then you load them with money (they have terminals at most train stations, 7-11s, etc). But now, it is possible (and a great idea) to use the Suica app which allows you to use your phone instead of a physical card. You put the app on your phone, can load more money (using your phone), and your phone (using Bluetooth) will work for the metro, trains, and even to purchase things in many shops and restaurants. If you want to take the metro (subway) you simply wave your phone over the reader at the gates, and again on your way out of the station at your destination. Your phone is also your GPS mapping system, so you never get lost :). \ In Japan, if you want to use cash you do need Yen. ATMs are everywhere, but not all of them will work with our ATM/Debit cards. If you become desperate to find an ATM that will work with your card, simply go inside any 7-11 or Lawson's (these are very common convenience stores) where they have ATMs that do work with our cards. Japan's ATM systems do seem to be getting better (at accepting foreign Debit cards) which makes life somewhat easier. But the reality is that using credit cards (primarily Visa and MC) is very common and you will not use much cash. Hank

Absolutely agree and have actually spoken to two cruise line executives about the issue. For them, it is simply a marketing ploy and putting "Paris," "Rome," and "Florence" in a published itinerary is going to sell more berths than saying "Le Havre," "Civitavecchia" and "Livorno." One executive told me it is like saying $9.99 instead of $10.00. While it almost seems juvenile, it is an effective marketing technique. I still see "Venice" on some itineraries even though we know that no medium/large cruise ships can go to that port. This is part of the reason why folks should take advantage of the help and expertise found here on CC and some other cruise related blogs. Hank

Lots of options in the region, but what you can do depends on your own spirit of adventure, willingness to use public transit (or rent a car) or arranging for a private tour. I think spending an overnight in Florence is a great idea, and there is enough in that city to fill all your time. As to "sightseeing" outside of Florence we tend to think in terms of destinations rather than "sightseeing." Consider that within reasonable range you have San Gimignano, Lucca, Sienna, the Chianti wine area, Volterra, etc. Having a car makes a lot more possible, but driving in Italy also means being aware of ZTLs (limited driving zones) and the parking rules. In your situation we would suggest just taking the train to Florence, checking in a hotel within easy walking range of the train station, and enjoying all that Florence has to offer. On the 2nd day you have time to do more in Florence before catching an early-mid afternoon train back to Livorno. Just beware that the biggest hassle can be getting a taxi between the Livorno train station and the port. Hank

Keep in mind that the train station is quite a hike from old town and the Flower Market. I am not very familiar with the relatively new tram routes, but you should be able to take the tram (they are very nice/modern rail cars) from the train station to one of the stops close to old town). Hank

We have been to this area 5 times, and have a lot of personal interest in the history of the region. The House of the Virgin Mary is certainly worth a visit and it's history quite fascinating. Prior to when we visited with our own private guide, who was also an archeologist, we had no idea of all the various thoughts about this site. But folks might want to look at the following link, which does an excellent job laying out the issues and known history: House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus | Turkish Archaeological News (turkisharchaeonews.net) Hank

Agree that you need a shuttle bus. We were in Chania, in April, and Oceania was nice enough to provide a free shuttle bus. I assume that HAL will, at least, have a paid shuttle. From the bus stop, we could walk anywhere in town, but keep in mind that you will want comfy shoes since one can easily walk a couple of miles just through the shopping area, down to the harbor, and around that area. There are lots of cafes/restaurants, so it is a nice port for lunch off the ship. Hank

Since we are talking about cruises and airports it should be mentioned that Tokyo has two large international airports, Narita and Haneda. Haneda is much more convenient for cruises docked at any of the Tokyo/Yokohama ports, so folks might want to plan accordingly, when choosing flights. Narita is a long way from Tokyo (over 40 miles) and even further from Yokohama. While there is decent public transportation to/from Narita, using a taxi will cost you over $200 (one way). Regarding Japanese taxis, they are excellent, clean, and very safe. You do not tip taxi drivers, so the price on the meter is what you pay. Nearly all the taxis will take major credit cards (MC/Visa) but, it is proper to ask the driver about using a credit card, before you commit to the trip. Also, one little cultural thing, but do not open the door of a taxi. The driver will, electronically/mechanically open the rear door for you to enter/exit the taxi. Hank

One other suggestion. We have always enjoyed a combination of cruising and some land time, when visiting Europe. Assuming that one has the time and the budget, we think an ideal cruise embarks and disembarks at two different ports (such as Civitavecchia to Athens). One can then spend extra days (or longer) on land at either or both ends of the cruise. And even with the same embarkation/disembarkation port one can arrange some fun land time. Also consider that many of the best parts of Europe are not accessible on a port day. Hank

I also liked Celebrity because of its indoor no-smoking policy. But the reality is that, with the exception of the MSC Divina (where smoke from the casino would rise to the popular lounge on a higher deck) we have had few smoking issues. That being said, we now avoid all onboard casinos (smoke or no smoke). Our own preference for a ship is that it is small and luxurious :). To me, the ideal ship has no more than 600 passengers :). Once we move into the larger mass market ships, we are more concerned with the itinerary than the ship. Why? Most of the Med cruises are very port intensive (few sea days) and involve lots of long port days. When we are in the Caribbean, we do carefully choose the ship, but in Europe we primarily choose the itinerary, Keep in mind that, in the Med, you can sometimes find yourself docked a long way (measured in hours) from where you want to spend your day. Simple examples would be the port of Rome (Civitavecchia) which is more than an hour from Rome, Livorno which is more than an hour from Florence, Le Havre which is about 2 1/2 hours from Paris, etc. Because of this issue, we think it is important to carefully analyze the itinerary in terms of how long a ship is in ports. Another issue is what day of the week you are in various ports. So, for example, if you are in Civitavecchia on a Sunday, the Vatican Museum (i.e. Sistine Chapel) is usually closed. If you are in Istanbul on a Tuesday, Topkapi is closed. When it comes to Europe, you always need to be cognizant of closures (especially on Sunday, Mon, Tues, and European holidays). Hank

No argument about Emirates over Delta. In fact, we prefer many foreign airlines over any US airline. But, Delta had the right flight at the right time and I truly chickened-out on La Campagnie. It is an independent all-business class airline with a great reputation but very few aircraft and flights. My concern was, if they had some kind of mechanical problem there are not many options. We still want to try La Compagnie, and would more likely consider them for the next time we decide to go to France for some kind of land trip, where we would have less concerns about a flight being cancelled, for example, for a mechanical problem. Not only do we like their entire concept (all Business class) but also see advantages to flying-in to Orly as opposed to CDG. Hank

The thing about cruising in Europe and more specifically the Med, it is something we have been doing for about 40 years! In all that time, cruising every month from March through October, we have never encountered anything close to high seas. But, we have also been on cruises where some folks whine about seas of 3-4 meters, which certainly does happen...anywhere. I think most mariners would agree that the term "rough seas" is really meaningless. One person's rough is another person's normal. Our best advice, for those concerned about a rocking ship, is to simply bring along the desired products to handle a moving ship. That can be things like Bonine (Meclizine HcL), Transderm Scop, sea bands, ginger, etc. Spend enough time on ships and eventually you are going to encounter all kinds of sea conditions. Hank

A few different issues. The odds are good, that the Med will be relatively calm during the summer months. But "odds" are just that, and anyone getting on a ship needs to understand that rough seas can happen anywhere at any time. Even a storm, hundreds (or thousands) of miles distant, can result in long swells that can make, even the largest, ships rock and roll. As to the "open ocean" comment, that is somewhat laughable. Cruise ships do not generally cruise close to land, and even in the Med (which is actually a huge body of water) a ship can be hundreds of miles off-shore. The truth is that ships are at their greatest risk when near land, because they have to be concerned with the depth of water, increased traffic, etc. DW and I have spent years on cruise ships (all over the world) and one just never knows, when they book a cruise, what kind of weather and sea conditions will be encountered. For those folks who have all kinds of anxiety about potential sea conditions, perhaps they should just spend their time on land. Hnak

We are 5* on HAL (with over 550 days) and Elite on Princess (33 cruises and nearly 400 days). We are in the process of booking a future Enchanted Princess cruise, and at the moment, will not even waste our time looking at future HAL cruises, since our last two HAL cruises were not even close to our standards (or what used to be HAL standards). As to the Princess dining issues, it is really not as complicated as it sounds. You can make reservations (on the Princess app) for any the MDRs. You can reserve the same time every night or change it every night. You also do not need ot have a reservation and can simply walk-in at any of the open times (they have much more expansive hours than HAL). As to the so-called "casual dining" this refers to a few venues, such as Alfredos/Gigis and the Salty Dog Cafe. The expansive Lido has no charges (and is also opened for more hours than you get on HAL). I do think the relatively new fees for some of the casual venues are ridiculous. I will add that we have yet to cruise on the new Sun Princess, which is a completely different design than the other ships in the fleet. Hank P.S. We remain hopeful that HAL will eventually return to something close to the line we have enjoyed for decades.

OMG, thanks for the update. I am not a big fan of the Tram system, but I guess locals see it as an improvement. We last took the #400 in May, 2022. Unreal that one has to go all the way to Cagnes sur Mer to catch the bus. Life is easier with a rental car :). Hank

Many of the online cruise agencies have a place where must one put their age, in years. I have never seen it defined as whether it should be current age or your age at the time of the cruise. Not sure it really matters unless there is some kind of senior rate or a special price/free for kids under a certain age. Hank

Just my two cents on this fun topic. Count us as among the folks that cruise many different lines (our 18th line is coming up in Dec) ranging from budget to high-end luxury. To say we simply enjoy being on cruise ships would be an understatement supported by more than 50 years of extensive cruising The lines mentioned by the OP range from luxury to mass market. We find pros/cons to each line, and enjoy mass market, luxury and premium lines. Consider that we recently cruised on Oceania for 35 days, our next two cruises are on Seabourn and Silversea, last year we cruised on Explora Journeys, and today, we are on the verge of booking a future 14 day cruise on Princess! And by the way, that Princess decision is made after considering options with Explora Journeys, MSC (Yacht Club), Seabourn, and Silversea. For the moment, after considering all those lines our thinking is to head back to Princess (it would be our 34th Princess cruise). Why would we choose Princess...likely in a low category mini-suite? DW and I really enjoy the variety of entertainment on Princess (Production Shows, jazz club, piano bar, etc) and I have always been a big fan of the IC where I spend most mornings sipping cappuccino, eating a donut, people watching, etc. And by the way, the idea of paying extra for a reserve collection mini-suite is not even a consideration. We seldom go to a dining room for breakfast (usually are fine with the IC) so the only real advantage to the reserve thing would be dinner. And on the Enchanted Princess (the cruise we are considering) we see no advantage to the reserve seating for dinner and do not get excited about paying extra for the same menu (plus one item). Since we dine after 7:30, we can usually walk into any of the MDRs, with no queue or delay, so that reserve stuff is a big nothing! As to cabin location, we could care less if we are up near the bow or amid ships. The only part of any ship we tend to avoid are far aft cabins, because on many vessels (at certain speeds) you can get an annoying "shimmy" not to mention vibration from the props. As to the larger suites, we need a cabin to sleep, shower, get dressed, and leave (we like to socialize outside our cabin). While a large suite is always nice, the extra space goes to waste since we spend very little waking time in the suite. We would rather spend the extra money on a good bottle of wine, an extra dinner in The Catch, etc. As to the luxury lines, we are assuming that the large majority of Princess cruisers have never been on a small ship luxury line. We are talking lines like Seabourn, Silversea, EJ, Sea Dream, Scenic, and even Crystal. We love those lines and particularly favor the small ships (fewer than 600 passengers), the better cuisine, the refined atmosphere, slow pace of life, etc. But I will tell you that when we were cruising on the new Explora Journeys 1 ship, although that vessel had the best cuisine we have ever had at sea (by a mile) there were times when we missed the pizza on Princess :). And we have always enjoyed Crooners (whoever decided to leave that off the Sky Princess should be strung up on the yardarm). Some of our Seabourn cruising friends have remarked that they find it shocking we can enjoy Princess after cruising on Seabourn...but that is their loss :). Hank

Depends on how much time you have and your budget. We have twice done 1 week stopovers (in Ireland), rented a car, and explored lots of the country. I am not sure of the current Aer Lingus rules, but they used to be fine with up to a 10 day stopover. I had once thorught about flying into Dublin, renting a car, and a few days later flying back the USA from Shannon. But we never explored the pricing (not sure if it costs more) nor did we look into a one-way rental car drop. Agree. We always book lay flat seats for the east bound red eyes, but will sometimes settle for premium economy for west bound. Last month we tried Delta's Premium Select on a flight from Milan (MSP) to JFK, and it was OK. On the other hand, we probably should have booked La Campagne's flight (to Newark) since they have all lay flat seats with pretty decent pricing. By the way, La Compagne is an option (for Paris or Milan) that one will not find on EZAIR or any other cruise line air deal. That all business class airline is often about the same price as the major's premium economy. Hank

We assume you are aware that Icelandic Business Class is not your typical business class, but rather something akin to other airline's premium economy Icelandic's Saga Class (what they call business) does not have lay flat seats. We still think it is a terrific deal, but some folks are disappointed when they see the seats. Hank

A nice benefit of using Icelandic is the ability to do a multi-day stopover in Iceland. In the past we have also used Aer Lingus which allows multi-day stopovers in Ireland (either Dublin or Shannon). It is a great way to extend a vacation with a land trip without incurring any additional airline costs. For a cruise we are taking next year, out of Tokyo, we already booked direct with Turkish Air (recently voted the best European airline and also known for terrific business class) and built in a few day stopover in Istanbul. I think many folks, who can manage the time, miss out by not taking advantage of the stopover potential of many airlines. As to EZAIR (and similar programs with other cruise lines) the once amazing deals (especially in business/first class) have all but disappeared. Two years ago we booked a one way business class trip from Prague to Washington. DC for only $1000 using Seabourn's version of EzAir. Try to do that today! Looking at EZAIR prices to Japan, for 2025, the prices are off the charts and almost identical to booking direct with the airlines. Whether this is a temporary set-back, or represents a new policy of the airlines, has yet to be determined. Hank