Hlitner

It has been a few years, since pre Covid, but we enjoyed just renting a car and driving to Issos Beach (about 40 min) and exploring some other places along the route. If one wants to avoid the crowds of a tour, going on your own works quite well :). Hank

Not sure it is wise to paint transfers with a broad brush. While a train/transfer is a good option in some ports, it is not a great option in others. One (of many) great advantages to independent travel is the ability to be flexible. For example, since DW and I travel with plenty of luggage (usually two 50 pound pieces plus two carry-on back packs), using the train to transfer in Rome (to Civitavecchia) is not our favorite options. Consider one must generally get a taxi to get to the train station (usually Termini) and the local/regional trains to Civitavecchia leave on a very distant track, which means a very long hike through Termini. One then needs to lift the luggage onto the train, find a storage spot (usually at the end of a car) and than must be vigilant because of luggage thieves. Once at Civitavecchia, you must pray that the sole elevator is functioning (not always the case) as you must get across a track to the main station. You then need to either find a waiting taxi or use the shuttle bus. This also can involve changing to a different bus to get to your actual pier. All this with more than 150 pounds of baggage? For us, in this situation, we are OK paying for a private transfer (although the current cost is approaching 150 Euros). The situation in Barcelona also is favorable to using a taxi (or private transfer) to get to the proper terminal. And what do you do in a port like Monte Carlo? The train station is some distance (the other side of town) from the port and local bus connections are not very good if one has luggage (it is a long walk from the nearest bus stop to the pier). We could go on, for an hour, with descriptions of many ports (around the world) where a train transfer is not an efficient or reasonable option...especially for cruisers with luggage. Hank

Just a hint that while many folks plan on visiting all 5 villages (on a port day) that can be a bridge too far kind of thing. On most of our visits we limit ourselves to no more than 3 villages (even when on land trips when we have no time constraints). My advice is to prioritize the villages in case you run out of time. I will again post a warning about Corniglia (one of my favorite villages). Visiting this village will involve a lot of extra time since nearly everyone uses the small shuttle bus to get from the train station up to town. In theory, it can be walked (lots of steep steps) but few want to do that uphill hike. The problem is the lone shuttle bus is quite small and only runs every 20-30 minutes. If its a crowded day, you may not be able to get on the first bus which makes that wait too darn long. Because of this problem it is the least visited village (which is one reason why it is our favorite). Hank

Regarding the Cinque Terre Card (including the daily train pass), while it might not necessarily be a bargain (that would depend on how many trains you take and whether you hike some of the trails) we strongly recommend that pass...even if it does cost you a few extra Euros. With that pass in-hand, you do not need to deal with the queues for the ticket office at La Spezia, or queues at ticket kiosks or machines at the various villages. While Cinque Terre keeps growing in popularity, the transportation system (both trains and ferries) has not kept pace with the crowds. DW and I used to visit some of those Cinque Terre villages, when we were on our driving trips within Italy. These days, we generally stay far away from those villages (unless we are on a ship that calls at La Spezia. Italy created somewhat of a bad situation when they opened La Spezia to large cruise ships. I should also mention that the popular hiking walkway (Via del Amore) that links Riomaggiore to Manarola, was not yet fully opened during our visit in April. Hank

Yep. On the new Explora Journey 1, which is a luxury cruise ship known for its fine cuisine, they have a small venue called Anthology. That restaurant is generally used to showcase a Michelin starred chef who is either cooking or has trained the onboard staff. On our cruise, the Michelin Chef was Emma Bengsston who currently reigns as the Chef at the NYC Michelin 2* restaurant, Aquavit. Since "Chef Emma" was aboard and doing the cooking (in a galley that can be viewed through a glass wall) we decided to book that venue. As I recall it was about $195 per person (which included wine pairing). The evening, we went to dinner, there were only 8 dinners in the venue and Chef Emma actually came to all the tables to chat. We talked to her about getting a reservation at her NYC restaurant, which she admitted was very difficult (one must book about 1 month in advance). Chef Emma is the only North American female chef to have earned 2 Michelin stars. And dinner was quite good with 7 courses. Keep in mind that dinner, with wine, in Aquavit would cost significantly more than $400 (per couple) so, in a way, the deal on EJ1 was a "bargain." Restaurant prices have truly gone through the roof. In NYC, a simple pizza and beer can easily cost more than $50. Dinner in the top Michelin starred venues can go over $1000 per couple (a lot more if one selects an expensive bottle of wine). Speaking of EJ1, I should explain a little about that new ship. She carried up to 900 passengers (on our voyages there were only about 450 onboard) on an all suite vessel. The ship has no main dining room, but rather has 4 separate restaurants (each with their own galley and staff) plus a high-end Lido and that small Anthology venue. When I say high-end Lido, consider that if we wanted grilled lobster we had our choice of what kind of lobster. The raw seafood bar had oysters on the half-shell, cracked crab claws, huge shrimp, etc. Their sushi restaurant had 2 sushi chefs preparing items to order. It is a very interesting new cruise line (wholly owned by the MSC folks) with its 2nd (of 6) ships soon having its maiden voyage. Hank Hank

An annual policy may not be the way to go for all the travelers. The OP might want to get their own annual policy (such as the ones offered by Geoblue or Allianz) and the other family members might be better off with their own single trip policies. Not knowing all the details it is impossible to know what is best. But since the OP is asking questions, we think they could benefit by contacting a professional travel insurance broker (Steve from the Tripinsurancestore is one option) to get professional advice. In the interests of full disclosure, we do carry the annual Geoblue Trekker policy (and have previously settled two claims) and are very satisfied. And finally, I should mention that we are talking ONLY about medical/evacuation coverage. Medical coverage does not generally cover trip cancellation/interruption or some other items that might be covered through a "trip policy" as opposed to a "medical policy." Hank

Absolutely, as long as the patient (or their representative) submits a properly completed claim form with the necessary back-up. I say this having filed two GeoBlue claims (one was quite substantial). By the way, as others have mentioned, there is no way to estimate the cost of the various parts of the OP's care. Treating a major MI (heart attack) can be quite costly and the cost of medical evacuation from Barbados to Miami can be huge (especially if there was a chartered air ambulance). Who pays what will depend on the insurance policy(s), what policy is primary, whether there must be coordination of claims between more than one insurance company, etc. The OP might also want to check the credit card they used to pay for the cruise as some cards (such as Chase Sapphire or some AMEX cards) do provide some coverage (my Chase card covers up to $20,000 plus some evacuation). The OP should also be talking to their insurance company ASAP, as some policies have various time requirements regarding when they must be notified and a claim filed. Hank

This has not been true, in our case. A few years ago, DW was injured (at a beach) while we were Viet Nam. I managed to get her back to the ship (Golden Princess) where she received several days of treatment from the excellent onboard physician. When the situation worsened we took DW ashore in Osaka for further treatment (outpatient surgery) and I eventually evacuated her back to the USA (via commercial business class). At the time, we had Geoblue (the annual trekker policy) as well as a Medicare Advantage Plan that also included emergency/urgent out of the country coverage. Geoblue took the Primary position (they said that was their normal practice) and did not make any attempt to coordinate benefits with our other insurer . Geoblue also paid the expensive business class fare (about $10,000). I should add that once I submitted all the claims info (I worked in the medical insurance world for over thirty years), Geoblue paid the claim in about 3 weeks. Hank

We have, some times, just rented a car in Miami (downtown) which we could then use to store our luggage in the trunk. The car provided our transportation to do various things around the Miami area and we later returned the car at the airport (both MIA and FLL depending on our flight). The rental car was actually less expensive than the cruise line excursion offerings (we do not know if O offers such an excursion that will drop you at your desired airport). Hank

Whether you take a cruise line excursion, private tour, of simply go off on your own is simply a personal choice. DW and I are very independent travelers and have done all of those ports on our own. So yes, it can be done. With DIY one can stay near the port, or use trains, rental cars, or public buses to get to desired distinations. Hank

I did make a mistake as I was referring to the new Sky Princess (The Enchanted does have a Crooners). On the Sky there is no Crooners...none...nada! Take a look at the deck plan. We have been on a few Princess cruises (over 30) and when we booked the Sky, we never looked at a deck plan. Was quite a shock when we went looking for Crooners and it simply did not exist. Bummer. Hank

I am old enough to remember most of those things and they were not really all that bad. Skeet shooting, off some ships, was fun and done quite safely. Midnight buffets were a bit over the top, but quite popular and also fun. Better and more varied entertainment? That depends on the cruise line and ship. HAL eliminated their Production Shows (apparently, they are no coming back on some ships) and more recently got rid of the popular Lincoln Center Stage groups. Princess also made some changes, such as eliminating their popular piano bar from the new build, Enchanted Princess. Yes, many cruise lines have expanded their dining options, but at a price. One venue on the very upscale new Explora Journeys cruise line cost us over $400 (per couple)..and that was on a luxury line that charges luxury prices. Several other luxury lines also have high priced add-on venues. On mass market lines, there can be over a dozen venues that charge substantial fees for what used to be included in cruises. Free and Unreserved deck chairs? That assumes you can even find one that is not being "saved." And quite a few lines offer reserved chairs for a fee. Even the luxury Seabourn has some expensive cabanas (which can cost about $200 a day). Princess charges a substantial fee for reserved loungers in their "Retreat." I do think one big improvement is that there are now cruise lines to fit just about any age and class. Want a budget cruise? You can find it on some lines. Want to spend $2000 per person/day for a luxury experience? No problem. There is still much to love about the cruise industry, but I will admit to sometimes missing the "good ole days." Hank

LOL, I do get the frustration. Folks pay the overpriced cost of a simple walking excursion and don't expect freeloaders. I will admit, that DW and I are very independent travelers and have often been near walking tours (in many parts of the world) and will listen-in for a few minutes. Sometimes it is comical because we know that the info from the guide is wrong (this happened at Ephesus). We also once were near a walking tour in Fira, Santorini, when we heard a guide say "this is a jewelry store" which was pretty obvious to anyone who read the sign (and nearly every store was a jewelry store). But here is the reality, When you are on a walking tour, anywhere, there is nothing to stop anyone from tagging along, listening in, etc. You are in a public space and the tour does not own that space. Some tours get around that issue by giving all their charges wireless ear buds/ear phones so the guide can privately talk to their charges. By the way, when I mentioned "overpriced" we were recently on a European cruise where it was common to charge up to $99 for a simple 2-3 hour walking tour. Consider that many of these tour groups had over 20 folks, so the tour company was getting about $2000 for a short walking tour! I want that job :). But in all fairness, that revenue is split between the local tour company, the third-party company that operates most cruise line tour desks, and the cruise line (who gets a generous cut of the action). Hank

That seems like a decent price (a taxi might cost you more). Keep in mind, that the Acropolis now uses timed tickets. In the past we would simply walk up to the ticket kiosk and buy tickets. Now, it is considered wise to pre-purchase. The crowds are ridiculous (it was even packed in April) and we sometimes wonder why. Many years ago, we would simply buy tickets (at the site) and stroll up to the top where it was never crowded. In fact, the first time we visited (I think it was in the 80s) it was possible to stroll among the ruins. Now, everything is roped/fenced off and folks complain it is just too darn crowded. The Greeks did a terrific job with the design of the new museum, and you should be delighted. Hank

Malaga is a fabulous tourist city (especially for a first-time visitor). You can look online at sites like Tripadvisor to find lists of the most popular tourist options. For those of us who love to walk (we are talking miles a day) it is possible (and even advisable) to walk from the port into town. There is a shopping/restaurant area (on the lower level adjacent to the water) relatively close to the port, an adjacent museum, and the walk into the heart of town is along a nice park/Promanade. We do agree that local Picasso Museum is worth a visit. We say "local" because sometimes it seems like every Spanish town has a Picasso Museum ( I think there are actually 8 scattered around the country). Hank

I am on your side (go to the museum around opening time to avoid the large crowds). No reason to rush to the port (in the morning) as you will likely cool your heels in an ugly terminal. No worries about getting to the port as you can always find a taxi, take the train (you would then want a taxi for the short haul to the port), etc. DW and I really like the new Acropolis Museum and its especially interesting for anyone who has ever been (or is going) up to the Acropolis. You will have no problem getting a taxi from ATH to your hotel, but make sure you don't get ripped-off on the fare. If you use a taxi you will get charged the night fare which might cost you around 70 Euros. There are other more economical ways (such as the Metro and buses) but a car is certainly the most convenient. Although we have never done it, one can make a good case to pre-book a private transport (at least you will know the price). I will sadly add that we have encountered too many dishonest taxis in Athens...so be forewarned. Hank

We have previously talked about walking (to the station) and, assuming you can handle the distance (it felt like a little more then a mile) it is actually a very nice walk that will take you through a decent shopping area of La Spezia. But we will again issue a caution that the ticket queue (for the small ticket office) at the station can be too long and one might find themselves waiting over 30 minutes (much longer on a busy day) just to get a ticket of daily train pass (which we recommend). I think this can be done online (we have not tried) which would be a major time saver. Perhaps Euro-Cruiser, or another poster, can post the details about buying a train pass online. We cannot overstate the issue of overtourism at the Cinque Terre villages. Go with the attitude that everything will be crowded, and just accept that it is the price to pay for going to this picturesque part of Italy. Also keep in mind that if you are a shopper, the shops you find in the 5 villages are generally tourist-oriented, overpriced, and not the best part of Italy to shop. In fact, the shopping in La Spezia is far superior. Hank

An 8pm arrival is not a bad thing. Unlike the OP, you have a pretty decent cushion to deal with a late flight, although we do not like the delayed luggage risk with that type of travel. My suggestion, for you, is to book a room in the airport Sofitel. It is a short walk from the main entrance doors of ATH (you can roll your luggage since it is a flat walk) and the hotel is quite fine for a decent night's sleep. In the morning you can enjoy breakfast, and then either get a taxi or Uber to take you to the port (the hotel's doorman can quickly get you a taxi). We have stayed at this Sofitel, a few times, and really appreciate its convenient location for late night arrivals or early departures. Hank

We responded to the OP's other post, but will cross post some thoughts. If the OP is of the mindset that they can only do things as part of a tour, we cannot be of much help. However, Marseille, like nearly every European port, can be done on one's own. This requires some pre-cruise homework, some planning, a little spirit of adventure, and some "travel common sense." If you choose to stay in Marseille (not my favorite place) you can certainly walk around the old port area, take a boat over to Chateau d'If, use local public transit to see other parts of the city, etc. Another terrific option is to simply go to Aix en Provence (a city that is popular with many cruisers) by using the train or bus (the local bus station is adjacent to the St Charles Train Station. The journey is about a half hour and Aix has plenty to see and do (just google the city and print out info). Keep in mind that, with the exception of Hop On Hop Off buses, DIY travel generally means a substantial amount of walking. Not only do you actually get to see more than on most tours, but you do it at your own pace, have plenty of time for a nice lunch (always a good thing in France, Italy and Spain, etc. There are plenty of other DIY options (besides Marseille or Aix) but they tend to be a bit more complex. For example, one can use trains to go all the way to Avignon. or One can rent a car and use it to explore various parts of Provence (such as the Luberon, go to Pont du Gard, Les Baux, etc. The main limitations on DIY port days is one's own comfort level (risk tolerance), and dealing with the time element. The general cred of DIY travelers (we have been doing it for over 50 years) is to go to your furthest point (from the ship) early in the day, and work yourself back towards the port. The idea is to be back within "range" of the port somewhat early (we suggest DIY novices' figure on being back close to the port about 2 hours early). Hank

Many of us, who routinely take longer cruises (measured in weeks/months) have commented about the high incidence of respiratory infections on ships. In fact, many cruisers have simply called it "cabin cough" which is likely not an accurate term. We not only take long cruises, but also spend significant land time (independently) traveling in various places around the world. So what to do? One can certainly stay home (where their immune system has likely adapted to the environment). We have talked about the issue with 3 different physicians, none of which has a perfect solution. Over the years, we have reduced our own respiratory problems by following a few simple and basic personal rules. On ships, we minimize our use of elevators (which are an enclosed chamber that almost guarantees you will get too much exposure to germs/viruses from anyone who coughs or sneezes. A side benefit is that using the stairs not only keeps us away from the germ laden elevators, but is good for our overall health :). Our other simple rule is to do our best to avoid being close to folks who are coughing or sneezing (the primary way that respiratory germs/viruses are spread). We are not obsessive about this rule, but simply use a little common sense. So, for example, if we are in a lounge/theater and somebody is coughing and sneezing near our location, we might simply move to another part of the room. When it comes to respiratory germs/viruses, distance is your friend (but most now know that 6 feet is very arbitrary). Speaking of ships, having has a long conversation with a CDC Trainer (who trained staff on many ships) we know of the Norovirus myth. The myth is that Noro is a specific issue that primarily impacts cruise ships. In reality, it is one of the most common viruses and can be caught anywhere (generally from food or hand to mouth). The CDC official told us that while it is relatively easy for them to track Noro outbreaks on ships, it is very difficult to track land outbreaks since folks are always moving around. But the risk of Noro is everywhere, including your own home/kitchen. One other personal technique. We happen to follow a somewhat contrarian schedule on mass market ships. We dine late (usually after 7:45) when there are fewer folks crammed into the dining venues, and almost no queues (remember, distance is your friend). We also go to the main shows at the time used by later diners, which also means the theater is less full than what is faced by the early diners. And our last technique seems to be one of our better solutions. In the past few years we have cruised less on the "mass market" vessels (such as with HAL) and more on the small ship luxury lines that have far fewer passengers and a lot more space per passenger. One can spend months on lines like Seabourn and Silversea and never need to stand in a queue (crowded with folks). Less crowding on those small ships seems to translate to fewer infections being spread through the vessel (this is my own anecdotal observation). Hank

It is a problem, not just for ADHD meds, but also for many other controlled drugs (especially anything containing a narcotic). In some States, there can be "vacation exceptions" but it does sound like your State has a 2-month limit. So, what to do if you will be out of the country for more than 2 months? You can certainly talk to your pharmacist and physician about options. You do have another issue. Some countries, around the world, have strict limits (and even bans) on certain controlled drugs (Japan and Thailand quickly comes to mind). In those countries, you often need to seek pre-trip approval (we have done this with Japan). In some cases, you simply cannot bring a specific drug into certain countries, or you must see a physician in that country and obtain the drug (assuming it is even available) through a physician licensed to write scripts in that country. Getting a script filled in another State (as suggested above) might work, but drug plans and computer data bases can make this a problem. Many States will not always accept a script from an out-of-state physician for controlled substances. Hank

I also have all the above. But lately, my iPhone stays securely in my zipped pocket and the simple paper boarding pass does quite fine. While the boarding pass is on my iWatch, I have never tried to use that at the scanner. I do get it, when it comes to digital. But, I have also realized that there are times when a small sheet of paper has advantages. There are times when there is no substitute for digital, which is why we have often posted (here on CC) that having a working smartphone can be vital to international travel. During the COVID panic days, the government of Turkey had a digital pass that was only sent to a device after the passenger submitted all the necessary documents (including a recent negative COVID test). The final digital pass was not sent until midnight of the day one was to arrive in Turkey. In our case, that meant we could not get that digital OK until our aircraft actually landed in Istanbul and we could turn-on our phones. For those without a phone, there was no way to get this required pass which meant they had to go through additional screening and delays in the airport or be denied entry. It was the same when entering Japan (soon after they reopened) when they had a digital form which indicated one had met all the requirements. We never did learn if there was a way to do this with a hard copy (we had it on our phones). Digital will eventually "take over the world" but for now, having a hard copy back-up is a very good idea. Hank

I recently read an article, from a well known travel writer, about a pet peeve. It is fine to use digital boarding passes, mobile passes, etc. Most travelers do embrace this technology. However, when it comes to using phones and electronics, things do not always have a good outcome. There are the dead batteries, missing phones, apps that crash, etc. I cannot even count how many times we have been held-up at airport gates because somebody's phone was not working (or they forgot to have the app or wallet opened). The advice of the pro (and also my advice which has been posted numerous times) is to always have a hard-copy back-up. We always have hard-copy boarding passes (which we either print-out at home or from an airport kiosk). For cruise ships it can be almost humerous. About 2 years ago, while embarking on a Seabourn cruise from Pireaus, our app failed to function. Trying to reload did not work because the local cell signal was not penetrating the small terminal. We (and others) were frantically trying to bring up our digital boarding passes with no luck. Fortunately, a Seabourn employee was able to pull up the info on his iPad (after a few minutes) and all was well. Although I am "old as dirt" I am also tech savvy and do like digital options. But as very frequent world travelers, we always have hard-copy back-up. In fact, for most flights, DW and I prefer to use the hard copy boarding pass because it is easier than fumbling with our phones. Last year we had an interesting issue in Munich when we had an "issue" with the German authorities about our Passport stamps (for entry into the Schengen zone). The German Immigration Officer demanded that we show him proof (and he wanted hard copy) of our itinerary and where we entered the Schengen zone (which was in Monte Carlo). Fortunately, I had tons of hard copy documentation in my carry-on and quickly filled his counter with documents. Otherwise, I would probably still be standing at that counter pleading my case :). Last year we were in Japan, and at one point (after returning from Taiwan) actually had our "hard copy" Passports checked 5 times (I kid you not) in about 10 minutes as we were clearing the Japanese procedures to get off our ship. It would have been humorous, if not true! The 5th person (to ask for our Passports) actually bowed and offered an appology for the procedures (I bowed back). Trust me that anything digital would not have been acceptable. Japan is one of the most high tech countries on earth (you need a PhD to operate many toilets) except when it comes to Passports. Hank

We have also enjoyed a ferry trip that included both Naxos and Paros :). For anyone interested, it is a very doable ferry itinerary from Pireaus. In our case, we disembarked a cruise in the morning and grabbed a taxi to get us to the other side of the port (near the Metro Station) to the entrance for our Blue Star Ferry. The ferry left around noon (perfect time for those coming off a cruise) and we arrived at Naxos late in the afternoon. After a few days on Naxos, we took another ferry over to nearby Paros where we spend another few days. As much as we love to cruise, there is much to say for being on Greek Islands that do not welcome any cruise ships. Hank

No issue and we are really glad you mentioned that Lapad. We currently have reservations at the Dubrovnik Palace, which looks like it is in a good location to explore that part of town. Hank