Hlitner

We are in Europe now where we have been traveling 3 weeks in France, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic after a cruise that stopped in some ports of Spain, Italy, and France. We have not had any restrictions other then a few rare places (like public transport in France) where masking was theoretically required. For the most part the Europeans have shrugged off COVID and resumed a normal life. Tourist places seemed pretty normal with the usual crowding and folks enjoying their freedom. Some have told us they are concerned that restrictions might return in the Fall, but that is pure speculation. Hank

Just some related Europe info re COVID. Today is the first day that the European Air folks no longer suggest masking on flights. We checked in at 6:15 am in Prague for a flight to Munich later connecting to a Lufthansa flight to Newark. There is no masking in the Czech Republic but when we asked the Lufthansa rep whether we needed to mask on their flights she laughed and said nobody had any idea. As we entered the jetway for the short commuter flight o Munich we were told to mask. On the Flight we had so much drink and food (45 min flight) that those of us in Bus Class removed masks. Once we exited the plane at the Munich airport there was no mandatory masking. Nobody seems to know if we will need to mask on the 9 hour flight to Newark. Another humorous incident was when we cleared Passport Control here in Munich they wanted to know why we had no EU entree stamp in our Passports. We explained that we had disembarked the Ovation in Monte Carlo (3 weeks ago) and nobody even checked our Passports. The immigration guy shrugged and said we must have come ashore with the crew and than passed us without a Passport Stamp. Crazy world. Hank

I normally bring a tux on Seabourn. But on our recent Ovation cruise (last month) a tux did not fit our itinerary which included three weeks of independent post cruise European travel. So I only packed a blazer which could also be useful in Europe. A felt in the majority with my toned down formal dress. No more than 1/4 of the men had tuxes with most wearing a suit or sport coat/blazer and a smaller number not wearing any jacket and sly not dining in the Restaurant.

The logistics of handling luggage should never be under estimated. This is especially true for we seniors and others with various mobility/strength challenges. We now spend significant pre trip time and thought on how to deal with this issue. Bottom line is that in many circumstances folks are on their own in terms of luggage handling (especially with train transportation). Hank

Wow! I prefer to post here (rather then do private messages) since it benefits others and also let’s others correct me…if I err. In terms of medical coverage I believe that GeoBlue is not responsible for medical bills (or co pays) once you have returned to the USA. If you incurred additional transportation cost to get home they would likely deny a claim since you were not an inpatient and/or did not seek emergency evacuation in advance of the flight. GeoBlue is not “trip insurance” but rather trip “medical insurance.” That is the bad news. The good news is that you are home (that is the impression I get from your post. Thinking out loud I do wonder if you can get financial help or an insurance settlement from your balloon tour operator. This issue is completely outside my own knowledge but might be worth exploring. I am curious if Steve Dasseos has any experience/advice along these lines. It is possible that the balloon tour operator has insurance but we can only begin to imagine the complications regarding an international claim/liability Issue. Hank PS. I do wish you a speedy and full recovery from the injury

A few thought from a too heavy packer. We have been traveling since late March (still moving around Europe) and have had to deal with formal nights ona cruise, warm weather in Europe, chilly weather in Europe ( Into the 40s f), rain, sun,etc. We managed to pack for this 7 week trip with two cases (about 49 pounds each) and two stuffed carry ons. We though that getting everything into just two checked bags was an accomplishment. As to using laundry on ships (we do this):keep,in mind that some lines take up to three days to return laundry. Many cruisers have issues with the fact that cruise lines launder everything in hot water. i do think a back pack or carry on can easily work on a 7 day cruise that involves one type of climate. But please tell me how to do this on a cruise that involves a hot South America coupled with a week in Antarctica eith multiple daily Zodiac excursions? My message is that this is not a one solution fits all. Hank

We have taken flights, a few times, that depart around 11 am. This was not a problem since we arranged for a 7am private transfer (Rome Cabs) and was at FCO around 8. Your 9:55 flight is a bit tight for my taste and you will likely pay extra for a private transfer prior to 7. You would also be well,advised to do,Express Disembarkation where you must go ashore with all,of,your luggage. If your ship docks on time and is cleared n the normal time (usually about 20 min) then that early flight is doable. Personally I would not like the additional stress. You also should have a Plan B which is what you do if you miss that flight. Hank

The Old Bear gives good advice so we will not repeat much port info in this thread. But Ravenna is different since it has become a more important port because of the recent rules prohibiting cruise ships from docking in Venice. Where best to stay depends on your specific cruise line. Some lines will provide bus transfers from Venice to the pier at Ravenna. In such a case we would recommend staying in Venice (for at least 2 nights). If a transfer is not provided then the situation becomes more complicated depending on your spirit of adventure, budget, etc. Hank

And I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you for a good price :). In theory the system does support video calls but whether you can maintain a connection for the 20+ minutes necessary..is a real gamble. If the connection fails your test becomes worthless since it is no longer proctored. We have been on many cruises (HAL and other lines) where Internet is sporadic or not working at all for hours and sometimes days. Hank

You can purchase proctored self kits for about $70 (2 tests). You simply buy them for delivery to your home and take them on the cruise. Since ship Internet is not reliable it is probably best to do the tests the morning you dock using land based cell or Wi-Fi. You will have your results in a few minutes. Hank

A tough problem for HAL. Will Japan reopen to tourism/cruise ships in 2023? Nobody has a clue. We have had the 3 previous Japan bookings cancelled and kept rolling it over to the next year. Our patience with Japan has reached our limit and if the March itinerary gets cancelled we will take our money and run to another cruise line (recently had 3 great cruises on Seabourn). The problems with recent HAL cruises and HAL cost cutting games (remember production shows?) have soured us on HAL although we are willing to stick with our 42 day Asian commitment. We hope that if that cruise does happen the extra year will give HAL time to get their act together. Hank

DW usually brings a supply of tea bags on any cruise or trip. They weigh next to nothing, take up little space, and she has a guarantee that she will have the tea she likes if there are no readily available alternatives. In this era of supply shortages one can no longer rely on past history. Hank

We just did a TA cruise on Seabourn where the first nine days were glorious sea days. We were actually sorry when we finally reached our first port (Funchal). There were many lazy days with some lectures, lots of reading, card playing, and lots of enjoyable socializing. While this kind of cruise does not suit everyone there are many of us who consider all those sea days the best part of cruising. Hank

COVID has played havoc with all the cruise line schedules. But there are usually quite a few summer cruise options that include Iceland, or both Iceland and Greenland. HAL has long run their popular Voyage of the Vikings cruise in late July or early August which can be done one way or round trip to-from Boston. Other lines (such as Oceania) have also offered some options. Adding Ireland to the mix does make it more complicated but there are usually some options if one expands their horizons and is willing to spend the extra time. In some cases you might want to consider two cruises (one around the UK/Ireland) coupled with a 2nd cruise that does the TA component. Speaking of Ireland, I would recommend visiting that island on a land trip (independent or tour) before or after a TA cruise. Much of Ireland cannot be fully appreciated without days/weeks of land travel. Hank

We met more then a few “ Crystal Refugees” on our recent 27 day Ovation cruise and heard a fair number of complaints regarding the comparison to SB. We finally suggested to one party that perhaps they should go back on Crystal. The reality is that most of these folks got a very nice discount from SB (enough to pay for hundreds of COVID tests) which was something not offered to regular SB cruisers. We also have previously cruised on Crystal, enjoyed the experience, but found that we preferred SB for a multitude of reasons. Folks that travel (we are currently driving in the Czech Republic) or cruise need to start dealing with COVID like any other disease and stop expecting mommy (cruise lines) to take on all the responsibility. Your comments are a bit harsh since the “SB” promise never promised post debarkation testing. The policy did offer some guarantees if a person happened to get COVID immediately before or during a cruise. On our cruise there were more than a few COVID cases and those folks seemed to be cared for by SB. Hank

That would depend on the cruise line, ship, and the specific cruise director. Out of our many cruises we have only done 1 Xmas cruise cruise and it was somewhat different then most other cruises because of the passenger demographics. There was an unusual number of extended families aboard along with a different group of couples without children. The activities aboard (it was a Carnival ship) were pretty typical of any cruise. The crew did try to project the Christmas spirit with lots of onboard decorations and a roving Santa. Hank

Sometimes Things can be fun if you simply play along with the culture. We are not shoppers but do enjoy browsing. One day hike walking through the aGrand Bazaar, DW spotted a small carpet (about 2 feet square) that we though would make a terrific wall hanging. When the stall owner saw we were looking he invited us in the rear here he provided us with tea/snacks and some good conversation. Later we did negotiate a fair price for that tiny carpet and then DW mentioned she was looking for a specific type of small leather purse. Of course this stall owner took us to see his “cousin” who had the exact purse. All good fun and very inexpensive. I should mention that we live in Mexico (part of the year) where merchants and vendors can also be “overbearing” by our standards. It is simply cultural differences and something to which we are accustomed. For us part of the joy of independent travel is we learn and adapt to different cultural norms as opposed to trying to project our own culture on others. Hank

I know some like FF prefer to rely on cruise contracts, FAQs, and promises (that seem to go unfulfilled on many lines). We have been traveling throughout the pandemic and been on multiple cruises in the past year. On March 27 we debarked the Seabourn Ovation in Monte Carlo. Despite more then a few COVID cases aboard (never formally acknowledged by SB) there was no required testing before debarkation. If folks had been tested aboard and were positive they would have been covered by a SB guarantee. By not testing everyone SB essentially was off the hook for the untested. We are still traveling in Europe but will need to test before flying home. If we test positive we are on our own to deal with COVID and eventually find our way home. This is not much different than any illness or accident. It is up to the folks to deal with insurance (if you have it) and deal with any extra expenses. Folks that are very risk adverse are well advised to contact a decent travel insurance broker and pay the big bucks for decent insurance. Those of us who can live with some risk had best be prepared to handle any extra expenses (self insure). Hank

We should be clear that the CDC no longer has COVID “rules” that apply to pre cruise testing. It is now completely up to the cruise lines as to the standards/rules they choose to impose on US departures. Hank

I think depending on ship internet for proctored tests is a big gamble. You need uninterrupted streaming for at least 20 minutes or I believe your test is invalid. If you plan on doing this you might consider having several extra test kits and a Plan B of what to do,if all those tests fail. Hank

Interesting info and something we might check out during our next visit. But that would come after the places you mentioned, Topkapi, Basilica Cistern, Covered (Grand Bazaar) and a few other places. The city simply has an amazing collection of places worthy of a visit. Istanbul used to be one of our favorite cities to visit but that has now been tempered somewhat by the policies of the current government. Hank

A real bummer. Earlier in the pandemic, nearly all the cruise lines bent over backwards to offer deals or transfer bookings to future cruises. But in more recent months the lines (including Celebrity) have been less willing to deal. You should certainly call X or your cruise agent and try to make a deal but you may be disappointed. As to air, those of us who have booked our own air (vs using air through the cruise line) we can try to work out a deal with the airline (many will give you a future air voucher/credit). We have had 8 cruises canceled because of COVID so do truly feel your pain. Hank

Seabourn, Princess and HAL (and possibly Cunard) all use a similar search/booking engine for flights. With Seabourn you must have a booking number and have paid the initial deposit in order to get access. It is convenient and provides a wide choice (with various pricing) of airlines, airports, etc. it makes it easy to fly in early or home late. Our recent Seabourn cruise ended in Monte Carlo a couple of weeks ago. We used the booking engine to grab a business class flight home from Prague in another week so we are now driving around Eastern Europe. Our one way business class flight cost us only about $1000 back to Washington DC. The booking engine usually has terrific international first/business class deals. Domestic is often not a good deal. We have sometimes saved enough money on our bus class tickets that it paid for the cost of a Princess cruise in Europe. I do not know why SS, Oceania and some others do not offer similar pricing and decent booking engines. Hank

Regarding Seabourn, they have a decent air system. You can access their internal search engine and choose your own a flight, airports, class, etc. if you want hand holding you can call Seabourn directly and deal with their regular reservations folks or ask to speak directly to their air department folks. Hank

The HAL Group includes Princess, HAL and Seabourn and is run by the past CEO of Princess