Hlitner

We have never walked over to that new Dimotiki Theatro, or used its Blue Line (Line 3) metro into Athens. Would love to see a post from somebody who has done that deed. We will be back in Pireaus, in early September, and might give this station a try since the Blue Line also stops at Monastriaki (as does the Green Line). That stop is very convenient to the flea market. Hank

Experience is often the greatest teacher :). Today, I had lunch with an old friend who recently returned from their first trip to Italy (it was a land tour). When I asked him about his trip he said, "we went to 11 cities in 10 days and I remember nothing!" Too funny and another of those "If Its Tuesday it Must be Belgium" tales. By the way, if you have never seen that 1969 movie, it is worth finding/watching. Hank

I think you are confusing a few things. TSA (and in a few cases a private contractor) is all about getting you through the USA airport security requirements. However, that does not replace the need for a valid Passport for most International destinations or flights. Too many cruisers think of the so-called "closed loop" cruise and the related Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) as a replacement for a Passport. But that only works for closed-loop cruises to a very limited number of countries that participate in the WHTI program (mostly found in the Caribbean). There is a big world beyond the WHTI program (which does not work for airlines). You still need a valid Passport to fly (or take a cruise) to places such as Europe, Asia, etc. In fact, things are about to get more complicated since much of Western Europe will soon be implementing their new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) which is kind of like an electronic Visa (folks will apply online and pay a fee). And that form is in ADDITION to a valid Passport. Hank

I am not surprised that MSC cancelled multiple excursions. The line does attract many Europeans and we assume that many of those folks are fine just going off on their own or perhaps taking a private tour. So you have a few choices. You could do some pre-trip homework and also do some (or all) of the ports on your own. We have been doing our own thing for about 50 years, and actually try to avoid ship excusions like the plague. You can also look into private tours (try looking at the Cruise Critic Roll Call Board for your particular cruise) to see if others are trying to organize some smaller private tours. All 3 of the ports you mention offer a lot of DIY options. One can use trains, buses, or even a rental car in any of these particular ports. You can use the Search function (here on CC) or just read through the Italy and France boards to get lots of ideas. Just consider a place like Pompeii. Yes, you can take a tour. But you can also get there by train (from Naples) bus, or even a taxi. Once at the site you can buy your ticket, get an audio guide, join an English speaking tour, or just walk the ruins as you please. In Marseille, you can stay in town, grab a train to Aix en Provence, etc. Livorno is more of a challenge because you need to get to the train station. The easiest way is to get lucky and have a taxi at the port willing to do the short haul. There is also a way using a bus, but we will let you look that up on the Italy Port of Call Board. Once at the station you can take the next train to Florence (we really like Florence) or Pisa, Lucca, etc. Hank

As an "old as dirt" guy who lived in Japan, when your age, I want to encourage you to do your best to visit Japan (and Asia). Because trips to Japan are so darn expensive, and are generally longer trips, it does tend to attract an older crowd. I would take an educated guess that your best bet, to cruise with some others in your age range, would be found on Princess. The Diamond Princess is often cruising in Japan and Asia, so you might want to take a look at its' itineraries. I would also suggest that you try to find the time and money to spend some time (either pre or post cruise) in Japan. It is a fascinating country, one of the safest places on earth, and can be loads of fun. There is plenty to see, the food is interesting (there is also McDonalds, KFC, etc), and the Japanese are very polite and helpful. Hank

Thanks for the tips :). We were in Dubrovnik (last month) for a port day and, since we had lots of remaining shore excursion credit (on Oceania), we took an excursion that visited some wineries located some distance from town. It is really convenient that Croatia is now using the Euro. For our upcoming visit we are staying out at the Lapad area (right on the water) so your advice is very encouraging. We have been in the walled part of town a few times, so for this stay we wanted to check-out the Lapad area. DW and I are fans of Cavtat and will definitely fit another visit into our plans. We not only are spending the two nights, but will be back for two turn-around days on our cruise. The last time we went to Cavtat we took the local bus and than returned via a ferry. It is our go to town for lunch. Hank

Experts talk about “tipping guilt” which is a mindset shared by many North Americans. We have been “programmed” to tip as a matter of habit. Most other parts of the world do not have this issue. Just trying to explain to a friend not to tip in Japan, once got me in an argument. I had to explain that many Japanese consider tips to be improper or even an insult. In Europe the rules differ by country and even within some countries SB is the only cruise line where we had a crew member refuse a cash tip. He (bar tender) suggested giving the money to the welfare fund Hank

Keep in mind that Japan is not one of those places, like Italy, where you can simply get your luggage and walk out of the port. There will be a Passport check, and it is impossible to predict how fast the authorities will move folks along their way. Assuming you can get through the authorities, without much delay, a taxi (or pre-booked transfer) should get you to Haneda in less than a half hour, on a Sunday. If you are looking for a guarantee, "forget about it!" Under normal circumstances you should be OK, but delays (in arrivals, dockings, dealing with the authorities) do happen. If it were us, we would plan on spending the night in Yokohama (we do like that city) or even more days in Tokyo. Consider you could go to a nearby hotel. drop your luggage, and perhaps grab a train to Nara, take the train/metro into Tokyo, or just spend a nice day in Yokohama (China town is fun for lunch). If you are not used to dealing with the various Japanese authorities, we can tell you that they are always polite (and even friendly). But they do things according to their own pace, and that can sometimes leave folks shaking their heads. Efficient, yes, but that can also mean delays as they go through their "procedures." Hank

Can't disagree, but one should be forewarned that the prices are a bit steep. We will be in Dubrovnik for a couple of nights (pre-cruise) in late summer and have thought about dinner at Proto. We are still having some fun considering all the options in the area (we will not be staying in the walled city area). Hank

Finding the entrance is not too difficult one you realize it is on the left side (as you gaze up at the main entrance to St Peters). Also be forewarned that they are very strict about no carrying items on the tour. When we went (a few years ago) DW even had to check her purse which was done at a separate location on the right side of St Peters! Hank

Over fifty years of extensive world travel and we have never had a question (or even comment) about our meds. We do generally carry our prescription drugs in their original containers (which are labled with the name of the drug, prescribing physician, etc. I should also mention that we do not travel with any "controlled" drugs (i.e. mostly narcotics and stimulants). There are a few countries where we do take extra precautions Japan is a great example where they have very strict rules about what drugs can and cannot enter their country. Japan also has various forms for those carrying more than a 30 day supply of allowable prescriptions, and forms for 60+ days on many non-prescription drugs. One should also be very careful about taking drugs into countries like China, Russia, etc. Traveling with narcotics (we don't) does often involve specific forms...assuming the drugs are even permitted. Also beware that many countries strictly prohibit Sudafed, which is still an over-the-counter drug (with some restrictions) in the USA. Even Mexico does not permit any Sudafed...and getting caught with this basic head cold medicine can get one into deep doodoo. Hank

The last time we were on Plage du Midi, nobody was renting chairs. Not sure if this changes once one gets into the prime season. As to restaurants, we actually prefer the restaurants near the Plage du Midi (also near the tender pier). There are quite a few cafes/restaurants just across the street from the nearby marina (when you walk from the tender area towards the heart of town the marina is on your right and restaurants on across the street. Most of the eating venues on the Croisette are very overpriced which does go with that territory. Our favorite dinner restaurants are around a hilly area just Northwest of the marina/harbor. That neighborhood is full of small places (most set-up tables outside) which decent cuisine. There is something romantic about sitting in a narrow street, with laundry flapping the breeze above, and enjoying excellent French cuisine. Unfortunately for cruisers, many of these cute places are only open in the evening. I should also mention that cruisers who like to dine at 5pm would also be out of luck as many European restaurants are not even open at that early hour. Hank

LOL, loved your post. But I will add that some folks do seem to care what other's wear, and our reaction to them is "so what!" There will always be some who mind everyone else's business and we do our best to keep our distance from those folks :). Hank

When we help folks who want to do more DIY travel we often talk about one's "risk tolerance" and "travel common sense." This is not meant as a cricitcm or slight, but it is simply a fact of life that we all have our own comfort levels. When plans go awry (and this does happen) some of us do quite well in quickly adapting to the circumstances and implementing what we call "Plan B." Independent travel is not for everyone, but it does suit many of us who have some spirit of adventure and enjoy the challenges and flexibility of being on one's own. We recently finished a long Oceania cruise in Trieste. After the cruise we rented a car (for 12 days) and drove through parts of Slovenia, Austria, and Italy where we had a terrific time. When we were chatting with some other cruisers on our O cruise, they were surprised that fellow American would simply rent a car and drive to places they had not previously visited. They asked us "how do you cope with the language barrier" to which our response was that we do not even think about that issue, because we have found it a non-issue. When they wanted to know "how hard is it to drive in Europe" I explained that it was easier than driving in many parts of the USA :). These are examples of issues that cause anxiety for some folks, but for the more adventurous they are not worth much thought. What do we worry about? The weather, where we want to dine, which route is more interesting, etc. As to the weather, we have been known to completely change our driving plans because of bad weather. If we are planning to go an area that has a very bad forecast, we have been known to cancel some hotel/dining reservations, and simply drive a different direction to a different country where the weather is better suited to our plans. Even on a port day, we will sometimes change our plans on a moment's notice because of the weather, labor strike, or even our mood. To us, this is all good fun....but to others I can understand their anxiety about this kind of travel. Hank

Our last two HAL cruises (one prior to COVID and a 42-day Japan to Seattle Westerdam cruise, post COVID, were not to our taste. In fact, during that Westerdam cruise we did post a "Live" blog (here on CC) where we went into detail. The short version is that we found that HAL had imposed many cutbacks, including in cuisine and entertainment, and onboard service was not up to the standards we had grown to expect on HAL. To be very blunt, we cruise many different lines (in the past 18 months besides HAL we have been on Princess, Seabourn, Explora Journeys and Oceania, and will be cruising on Seabourn and Silversea before the end of this year. We do not think that HAL competes well in terms of cuisine and entertainment and has become more of a budget cruise line than the very high-quality mass-market line that made it one of our favorites. DW and I will happily cruise on future HAL voyages, once we have some indication that things have changed for the better. Hank

We can guess at that web site (and have sought bids ourselves) and nothing wrong with that method. While we do seek the best deals, we also want good customer service. I have teased our favorite cruise agent that our loyalty to her (and her agency) is only as good as the last deal. That is why we currently spread our business among two favorite agencies (we recently ditched a third for bad service). Hank

I guess where we can agree to disagree is your comment that DIY is stressful. To DW and I, going on large group excursions is stressful. When we are on our own (DIY) we are generally very comfortable. We love the freedom of doing what we want, when we want, with only ourselves or a very small group. I do think our attitude comes from a lot of DIY practice (more than 50 years). We do understand that our kind of independent travel (be it on a cruise or just driving around Europe, Asia, etc) is not for everyone. But when I think of stress, it is sitting on a bus, wasting part of the day, waiting on a late passenger, a few folks who are still waiting in line for a rest room etc. And for us, stress is rushing to finish a group lunch when we would prefer to be taking our time and enjoying the atmosphere of a well placed cafe or decent restaurant. Hank Hank

I do get it! But there are many HAL regulars (we know a few) who also need accessible cabins. No question, it is first come first serve and knowledge is power. As we said earlier, that is a good reason to find a decent cruise agent who might help you gain an advantage. The reality (which many do not want to accept) is that a decent agent, who deals in high volume and has personal contacts at various cruise lines, is usually going to have more clout than one cruiser. Some HAL fans do insist that the right PCC can also be helpful although we still prefer dealing with decent cruise agents. Consider that an agent who works for an agency who is part of a major consortium (that books over $11 Billion a year might offer some advantages. Hank

One reason (of many) that we prefer SB is for the simple reason that they do not include or excursions in their pricing. As a general rule, DW and I prefer to do our own thing or take a small group private tour. Hank

If I were asked about excursions, I would say nearly all are overpriced, overcrowded, and perfectly fine for those that enjoy that kind of thing :). Perhaps DW and I still love to cruise and travel (throughout the world) after around a half-century of extensive travel because we generally do not take excursions unless they do something we cannot reasonably do on our own of with a small group private tour. I should also post a disclaimer that we do understand that many folks prefer the ease and security of cruise line excursions which just proved the old axiom about different strokes for different folks. DW and I have recently taken a few more excursions because they were included in our cruise price (no way to opt out of that option). We have had some fun on wine/culinary excursions, although we could have generally done the same thing on our own. Hank

That is an issue at PE and POM. On the Uber/Lyft Apps, once you have an inbound driver, there is the option to send them a message (via the app) or even call them on the phone. At the ports we generally send a message telling them exactly where we are waiting within the large port. It can also be helpful to walk away from the crowds. That being said, the distance from PE to FLL is quite short so we will sometimes use a taxi (which costs more than Uber but less than a cruise line transfer). Our norm is to head to the taxi queue, evaluate the situation, and summon an Uber/Lyft if it seems like the better option. One huge advantage to using taxis, Uber or Lyft is that you will have a private vehicle that will drop you at the proper airport door for your flight. Those taking the overprices cruise line transfers will need to wait until their bus is full, all the luggage is loaded, and then they will generally be dropped at one central airport location which may be a long distance from their desired airline. Hank

We will incur the wrath of some for this post. Every cruise line (with the exception of Explora Journeys) has some kind of past/frequent cruiser club. To some degree, it is more of a marketing program then a true reward program. Consider that on HAL, folks who have spent a lot of time/money on HAL now see many of their Mariners Club benefits surpassed by first-time cruisers who simply book Club Orange. As to PCCs, they are simply one-trick ponies in that they work for a single cruise line (HAL) and are reservations clerks that have been relegated to a higher level by their fans. The OP would be well-advised to simply find a decent cruise agent who will work on the OP's behalf...not on HAL's behalf. The other issue is that anyone who has ever cruised on even a single HAL cruise, is in the Mariners Club. I have no clue as to the numbers, but assume it is in the hundreds of thousands of souls. Expecting the small Mariner's Club staff to generate an e-mail to one individual, is asking a lot. Perhaps you can find such an employee, but these days that person is likely to be gone or have a different job within a short period of time. DW and I have an interesting situation in that we are in the past cruiser clubs of 17 different cruise lines (the 18th is Explora Journeys which does not even bother with such a program). We are also known to quite a few decent high volume cruise agencies. Accordingly, we get dozens of "special" e-mails every week, tons of hard-copy mailings, etc. Nearly all go in the delete file (or trash can) since we do not have the time (or patience) to read all this stuff. I would suggest to the OP, that there are some decent high volume cruise agencies that have terrific online sites with search engines. HAL also has their own site (I will not insult the Internet and call it a decent site). We would suggest to the OP that he/she simply spent a few minutes, twice a week, checking on the availability of future HAL cruises (we assume the OP has no interest in other lines). Expecting HAL to treat one customer as a privileged person while others are ignored, is not realistic. Hank

Your last sentence struck a cord. New cruisers, and many others, rely on the cruise lines for port info and/or excursions. Years ago, some cruise lines would provide a knowledgeable expert to lecture on ports and also provide one to one info/advice. Now, that is gone and the cruise lines only want to sell overpriced/overcrowded excursions. Some even have port lecturers ( who are selling excursions) do their best to frighten cruises into booking the excursions (which generate profits to the cruise lines). Now, more then ever; folks should do pre cruise homework on their ports so they have the tools to make “informed” decisions rather then relying solely on cruise line info/propoganda. Hank

Edinburgher and I are of the same mind, that when doing independent port days it is wise to go to your most distant point, early in the day, and plan on being back in the area of the port, a few hours early. That simply philosophy has served us well, during more than 50 years of extensive world cruising with mostly independent port days. Hank

We do think you are correct. When we are in Cannes (where we have stayed a few times) we simply head to the free and sandy beach of Plage du Midi, which is within walking distance of the ship tenders. Many of the beach clubs are focused on the hotel crowd, overcharge everyone, and are not on the sandiest part of the beach. In fact, many of those clubs have their expensive loungers on wooden platforms. Yuck. As to People Watching (i.e. looking for the rich and famous), most of the time folks will be terribly disappointed, The rich/famous are often off on their daily yacht trips or at more private locations. Hank